SUPER MARIO - Book I - The Princess of the Galaxies
by goldenwhackabump
Summary: The Star Festival is a miraculous, once in a lifetime event where the power of the Goddess rains down from the skies in the form of Goddess Stars, which grant special powers. But Mario and his friends discover that it's not just stars that are falling down that night. Unbeknownst to them, this event serves as a catalyst for the destruction of all worlds. [Cover art by sakimichan]
1. Chapter 1: The Star Festival

**\- SUPER MARIO -**

 **BOOK I - The Princess of the Galaxies**

 **goldenwhackabump**

/ Cover art by sakimichan /

 **Chapter 1 -** The Star Festival

 _The Mushroom Kingdom is a great wide wacky world filled with colourful hills, strange creatures, bright golden coins, and memorable characters. Princess Peach Toadstool is the royal ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. She and her friends live in Peach Castle near the kingdoms capital city, Mushroom City, which is a sprawling metropolis that possesses a very modern feel. Tonight, Mushroom City is especially bustling. That's because tonight is a once in a lifetime event: the Star Festival._

 _According to legend, there is a magical woman who sleeps for a thousand years. During this long period of slumber, she continuously drifts throughout space like a comet, encompassed by the energy of the Goddess herself. This enigmatic woman is referred to as the Princess of the Galaxies. Legend has it, that once she returns to our world, the energy of the Goddess around her will rain down onto the world in the form of colourful Goddess Stars. These Goddess Stars are believed by some to grant amazing powers to those who obtain them._

 _Remarkably, based on that very legend, tonight marks the thousandth year. People from all over the world eagerly face the skies tonight, anticipating the descent of brightly coloured stars. This, is the Star Festival._

* * *

Our story begins in Mushroom City, on the eve of the Star Festival. A fabulous stage was set up in the main square of central Mushroom City. Big lights were directed onto the red velvet stage, which was the set for tonights concert. The drum kit shells were deep scarlet, in order to match the suits that each of the performing band members wore. Tonights performers were currently tuning their instruments in preparation for _"the big show"_ which was how Pauline, the band leader, had been referring to it. The band members were five Toads with red spots, all wearing sunglasses.

The band leader Pauline, who also happened to be the Mayor of Mushroom City, was now standing before the stage with the famous Mario brothers. Mario was rubbing his chin in thought and Luigi was scratching his head as the worrisome brown haired woman wearing a scarlet dress and matching sunhat was tapping her black heel in angst.

"Where _exactly_ is the Princess?" Pauline sighed, purple eye shadow on her closed eyes. "At this rate, she's going to miss the festival."

"I mean, not that I care, really." Pauline continued with a rather relaxed shrug. Pauline was a very busy woman indeed, and reserved little sympathy for those who weren't punctual.

"But can the show really start without Peach?" Luigi ventured to ask, hand on chin in thought.

"I suppose it can't." Pauline sighed. "How rude of her to be so late on such an occasion."

"I'm sure there's a good reason for this." Mario assured, with a hand.

"Time is running out, though..." Luigi admitted, raising a fair point. "What do you think, Mario? How about we go back to the castle and check things out?"

"Oh yeah!" Mario agreed, his posture full of life as he gave a nod.

"Oh, great idea, Luigi." Pauline agreed. "You guys go and get her. I'll take care of things here."

"You got it, Miss Mayor!" Luigi agreed, giving a salute. "We're off!"

"Please hurry!" Pauline called, Mario and Luigi already running away with a skip in their steps.

Mario simply threw a wave in acknowledgement, not turning back to face the Mayor in scarlet as he ran ahead with his brother. Together, the Mario brothers ran through the bustling city. Several Toads turned and cheered in excitement as they passed.

 _"Hey Mario!"_

 _"Mario you rock!"_

 _"Luigi! Give us a jump!"_

 _"Mario! My man!"_

Mario and Luigi smiled and waved at the various cheers from the admiring civilians they were passing. Eventually they arrived at the northern gate, which was the interphase between cobblestone road and dirt path. The golden barred gate with a star emblem was wide open, which separated Mushroom City and the dirt road which led to Peach Castle. This road was known as Castle Road. Starting to get tuckered out, Mario and Luigi slowed to a side by side walk as they travelled down Castle Road. The lovely Peach Castle rested on the dimly lit horizon.

"The Star Festival, huh?" Luigi started, rubbing his chin imaginatively. "What do you think, Mario? About the woman, I mean. The one who has supposedly been sleeping for the last thousand years. Think the stories are true?"

"Hmm... I don't know, Luigi." Mario replied, also rubbing his chin in thought. He gave a smile. "But I'll bet it's true!"

"Really?" Luigi laughed. "You're so gullible, Mario. You'll believe any old legend. I mean, one thousand years of soaring through space? How would you even survive that? I know that I would be one hungry guy."

"Hmm... I'm not sure." Mario admitted, perplexed.

"Well, if it is true, do you think she's pretty?" Luigi wondered, seeming lost in romantic thought. "I mean, the girls from legends like that are always elegant and beautiful, right?"

Mario smiled with his brother, the two of them continuing their walk and talk as they made their way towards Peach Castle.

"Still, it's unlike the Princess to be late for anything, let alone something as once-in-a-lifetimey as this." Luigi recalled, seeming anxious. "You... don't suppose something happened while we were out helping Pauline set up, do you?"

"Hmm..." Mario pondered, looking downward in closed eyed thought. He looked back at his brother with a smile. "I'm sure she's okay. The Toad Brigade is with her, after all."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Luigi agreed, the two of them approaching the cobblestone bridge that crosses the moat and leads to the main entrance of Peach Castle. "I don't think even Bowser is heartless enough to try and disrupt the Star Festival."

 **/**

The ominous room was dark and damp. The pink dress of a downed blonde haired woman provided contrast in the darkness. With a moan, she lifted her drowsy head, using her hands as she raised her chest off of the ground. Atop her head was a golden crown embedded with rubies and sapphires, which almost sparkled, even in the darkness.

"Ooh, what happened?" Peach questioned, turning her head to survey her darkened surroundings. "So dark… I can not see a single thing."

She raised a rather petite and delicate hand before her face, the white of her opera glove scarcely visible in the darkness.

"Just where exactly am I, anyway?" Peach asked herself, examining the reverse side of her hand briefly before lowering it.

A rat scurried past abruptly within the darkness.

"KYAAAAAH!" Peach squealed, lunging to a stand in fear.

 _ **BONK! CRASH!**_

"Owww..." Peach groaned, harshly sitting back down with her gloved hands clasping the top of her head. Three squiggly red lines radiated from the top of her head, to symbolize the throbbing pain she felt. Her crown was now resting upon the ground after causing a deafening crash.

"Ooh, what on earth is the meaning of this!" Peach whined, feeling all around her in the darkness, sensing thin iron bars. "What is this? Am I... in a cage?"

Suddenly, a massive stone double door roared open. Dense rays of light shun upon the imprisoned Princess, which caused her to shield her eyes with a frail arm. She was locked up in a large cage which rested upon cold stone tile. The light revealed some wooden crates and green barrels that were positioned behind the cage. The barrels featured a spiked steel ring around the top and bottom and a Bowser logo painted in red on its front. Peach featured slightly clenched teeth as she shielded her squinting eyes from the light with her petite arm. She eventually adjusted to it, recognizing the two silhouettes that stood at the doorway.

A booming voice happily disturbed the silence. "Hey, hey! Guess who!"

"Ugh, I should have known." Peach growled, turning and facing in the other direction. Her back now faced her unwelcome guests. "Go away, please."

"Hey, don't be like that!" Bowser sang, the massive spiky shelled koopa featuring a cocky grin. "How 'bout a smile?"

"NYEAH HYEH HYEH!" Kammy Koopa cackled, the old magikoopa dressed in purple robes standing at Bowser's side. "To ask the princess for a smile! How hilarious, your Heartlessness!"

"I'll "smile" once Mario comes along and kicks your butt for the umpteenth time!" Princess Peach countered, her arms folded and back facing her captors. "Goodness, when will you ever learn that Mario always wins?"

"Mario, Mario, Mario... Mario this, Mario that." Bowser thought aloud, his arms folded as he looked downward in closed eyed thought. "Is that guy all you ever blab on about?"

"Say whatever you want, but you will be defeated. As always!" Peach countered, on her knees and facing them now with her gloved hands clasped around the bars. "Mario will come and save me! In fact, he is already on his way, as we speak!"

"Oh?" Bowser sang, with a big grin. "Mario will come and save you, you say?"

"Mm." Peach confidently confirmed, with a nod.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…" Bowser declined, turning his back to the princess with folded arms.

"What ever do you mean?" Peach questioned, her hands still clasped around the bars imprisoning her.

Bowser turned his head towards Kammy beside him with a grin, his arms still folded and back facing the princess. "Kammy!"

"Yes, your Awfulness." Kammy Koopa acknowledged, walking towards Princess Peach with a gnarly grin.

Peach grew uneasy. Her blue eyes were glistening slightly as she nervously backed away from the bars, eventually backing up into the other side of the cage as Kammy Koopa drew nearer.

"W-What are you doing? Hey, d-do not come any closer!" Peach warned, helplessly backed against the cage. "I mean it! I will scream, r-really! I will even curse, if I must!"

Kammy Koopa stopped in place, but not because Peach told her too. Close to Peach's cage, she revealed a crystal ball and held its underside with a gnarly hand. With her other hand, she did some strange finger wavy movements above it, causing the ball to fill up with fog.

"Silence, now... _Crystal ball, crystal ball… What will bring destruction to us all_?" Kammy Koopa chanted, working her magic.

"What?" Peach gasped, not seeming very pleased. "Just what is this, anyway?"

Bowser laughed evilly under his breath, now looking into the crystal ball as well.

Peach looked at the manic Bowser with a slightly nervous expression, facing the glowing crystal ball before her again afterward. Eventually, the vision of a platinum blonde haired woman in a blue dress with closed eyes was revealed within the parting fog of the crystal ball. She looked as though she was moving at a high velocity. Peach tilted her head slightly in wonder, curious of who this mysterious woman was.

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa cackled, swiping an arm to hide her face behind a robed sleeve, concluding the fortune in the process. "Can't you see Princess? You are your kingdom are doomed! You will all be destroyed in a _swift and cruel_ end!"

"What?" Peach declined, clenching her fists in anger. "Impossible! This is nonsense!"

"Bwahahaha..." Bowser laughed slowly, his voice almost devoid of life. Peach shrieked as his head was upside down but still attached, eyes pulsing with an unsettling purple glow. **"It'S oVeR... No OnE cAn SaVe YoU nOw..."**

Peach was sweating nervously, kicking backward in a panic until she was against the back of the cage again. Bowser was rushing as fast as he could to open up the cage, because he was starting to melt. Kammy Koopa was cackling boisterously, as she herself was melting too. Peach was breathing heavily in a panic. Her entire world was spinning. She shielded herself and gave a helpless cry:

 _"Kyeeeaaaaaah!"_

 **/**

An exclamation mark appeared over the heads of Mario, Luigi, Toadsworth, and Daisy, who were all standing outside of Peach's bedroom door. Daisy was wearing her classic orange dress, but there was no crown upon her ginger brown hair.

"Did you hear that?" Luigi gasped, his eyes widened. "She just cried out!"

"Of course we heard that, dummy!" Daisy barked, hands on her hips. "We're all standing right here!"

"Great galloping Goombas, so she _IS_ in there!" Toadsworth cried with a leap, walking up to the door and knocking on it once again. "Princess! Princess, open the door!"

"O-Oh?" Princess Peach gasped, sitting up in her pink canopy bed.

White blankets were covering her legs, pink pyjamas donned. Her hair was a little messy, her eyes a little teary from what appeared to be an awful nightmare. The room was dimly lit, full of pink and white decor as well as a few plants. It was very clean and spacious. A pink exclamation mark appeared over her head as she heard muffled voices calling out to her from beyond her bedroom door.

 _"I say, unlock this door this instant! What on earth is going on?"_

Toadsworth knocked again, and the next voice was Daisy.

 _"Peach, are you okay? What's going on in there?"_

 _(I was asleep?)_ Peach thought, her eyes rather intense. She had no memory of falling asleep, or going to bed. Why was she asleep? The persistent knocking snapped her out of her thoughts.

"J-Just a moment, please!" Peach called out, racing out of bed.

The gang waited patiently outside, three dots repeatedly forming (one two three one two three) above their heads as they stood in patient stances. After several minutes, Peach had finally opened the bedroom door. She looked like her usual self, dressed in a pink dress with a crown delicately placed atop her blonde haired head. She looked apologetic as she reunited with everyone, who all seemed relieved to see that she was doing fine.

"My sincerest apologies, everyone. I-I was asleep." Peach informed, quite embarrassed.

"ASLEEP?!" Daisy, Luigi, Mario, and Toadsworth gawked in near unison.

"But how could you possibly be asleep on a night like tonight!" Luigi cried, slouched heavily in astonished disbelief.

"It is strange... I do not remember going to bed. I do not even remember feeling tired, in fact." Peach softly explained, looking downward and to the right with a somber expression upon her face. "Not too mention, I had the strangest nightmare. It was... horrible."

"That is strange, Princess. Quite strange indeed." Toadsworth agreed, hand on chin in thought. Mario and Luigi were doing the same, also in thought. "I say, I certainly hope you are not suffering from some sort of rare, incurable disease!"

"Aint that just a bit dramatic?" Daisy dismissed, with folded arms. She pointed a finger of reason, hand on her hip. "Besides, can't we all talk about this later? Right now we gotta go! The Star Festival is going to begin _very_ soon!"

"Oh my gosh!" Peach gasped, a pink exclamation mark appearing over her head, hands on her cheeks in surprise. "The Star Festival! I completely forgot!"

"Pauline is waiting for us at central square." Mario explained, waving a hand.

"We might still make it, if we hurry." Luigi added, with eager hands.

"Well then, we shall not waste another second!" Peach declared. "To Mushroom City!"

With that, everyone rushed towards the castle entrance.

 **/**

Back at the central square, Mayor Pauline was anxiously tapping her foot as she stood with folded arms. Her patience was wearing thin. An eager crowd of all ages were gathered all around the stage, anxiously awaiting for the performance that was expected to accompany the rapidly approaching highlight of the Star Festival - the apparent raining down of colourful stars. The buzzing of the crowd conversation caused her anxiety to worsen with each passing minute.

"Just where on earth _are_ they?" Pauline growled under her breath, the band behind her remaining silent with their instruments at the ready.

Then, a news van labelled MK News (Mushroom Kingdom News) pulled up to the scene. The news crew quickly proceeded to unload broadcasting equipment as a popular news reporter exited the vehicle. She was a pink spotted Toad with a bit of blonde hair who wore thin glasses. Her name was Jolene. Her red heels clicked as she stepped onto the cobblestone. She adjusted her glasses upon exiting the vehicle.

"Oh perfect, the media is here and those guys are a no show." Pauline sighed, resting the back of her hand on her forehead. She stood with positivity quickly after. "Oh well. Everyone! We'll just have to start without-"

 _"WAIT!"_

Pauline and the band faced to their right, the woman in scarlet shaking her head as she saw Peach and the others running towards the stage.

"You took your sweet time, hun." Pauline stabbed, apparently unafraid to be passive aggressive even with royalty.

"My sincerest apologies. I take full responsibility." Peach admitted, hand over her heart with closed eyes. She surveyed the scene afterwards. The crowd was cheering, and the broadcasters had their sights set on the stage. "Looks like we are all set?"

"Mm-hm." Pauline assured, stepping away from the mic at center stage. "We can kick things off whenever you are ready."

"Okay." Peach smiled, taking a deep breath.

"It's getting dark, Princess." Toadsworth reminded. "The stars could fall at any moment now. You should proceed with the greeting, I say!"

"Yes." Peach agreed, with a nod. Mario and Daisy gave her a smile, Luigi adding a thumbs up. She smiled back.

The news broadcast was focused on center stage, the popular reporter Jolene standing to the left within the shot. LIVE in red was positioned in the bottom left corner of a viewers TV screen.

 _"Good evening. I'm Jolene, and you're watching MK News. We're here at Central Square in Mushroom City, awaiting the beginning of the fabled Star Festival. It appears that Princess Peach is about to kick things off for us."_

Princess Peach placed a white gloved hand on the microphone and spoke into it, her blue eyes bright.

 _ **"Good evening, everyone!"**_

The crowd broke out into a epic cheer. They were happy to see the princess, and they were happy to be out here tonight to witness what was expected to be a spectacular show. The anticipation was at a maximum. Peach gave some time for the excitement to die down before speaking again.

 _ **"It truly is quite remarkable that we are all here, together, to witness the night of the thousandth year, is it not? We are all so fortunate to be alive now, so that together we may witness this incredible moment in history: The Star Festival!"**_

The crowd roared to life once more, clapping and cheering. Peach wasn't clapping, but her friends behind her were. The band members each gave a soft clap, working around the instruments. Peach proceeded to speak again after a few moments.

 _ **"Here to start things off for us tonight is our very own Mayor, Miss Pauline! Everyone! Please give her a very warm welcome!"**_

Everyone clapped and cheered yet again, Peach walking away from the mic and exchanging smiles with Pauline, who approached the microphone and grabbed it with excitement.

 _ **"Hello everyone! Are you ready to celebrate?!"**_

The crowd roared to life, as the band assembled into position. Pauline watched them do so, and upon seeing that they were all set, she faced the crowd again. By this time, the crowd had died down to a manageable level. She timed the band into play:

"One two-"

The band roared to life, and the music captivated the audience almost instantly. Everyone was tapping their foot to the music, and Pauline began to sing.

 _ **"Here we go, off the rails-**_

 _ **Don't you know it's time to raise our sails?"**_

 _ **"It's freedom like you never knew."**_

Luigi snapped his fingers, nodding to the music.

 _ **"Don't need bags, or a pass-**_

 _ **Say the word, I'll be there in a flash,**_

 _ **You could say my hat is off to you."**_

Pauline gently lifted her sunhat a bit, spinning once and grabbing the mic again. The crowd erupted into cheer.

 _ **"Oh we can zoom all the way to the moon, from,**_

 _ **this, great wide wacky world!**_

 _ **Jump with me, grab coins with me, oh yeah!"**_

Then, it happened. Shooting stars began to fall across the sky. Each and everyone one of them had a different colour. Some were purple, some were blue, red, green; any and every colour you could think of was falling from the sky at once. The crowd was looking skyward in awe, but the band didn't miss a beat.

 _ **"It's time to jump up in the air!** (Jump up in the air)_

 _ **Jump up, don't be scared!** (Jump up don't be scared)_

 _ **Jump up and your cares will soar away!"**_

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Peach awed, colours reflecting in her eyes as she stared skyward with her hands clasped together beneath her chin.

 _ **"And if the dark clouds start to swirl,** (Dark clouds start to swirl)_

 _ **Don't fear don't shed a tear cause,**_

 _ **I'll be your 1-Up girl!"**_

"Oh my gosh cool!" Daisy cheered, a big smile on her face as she watched the miracle plummeting from above.

"Simply unbelievable, I say!" Toadsworth cried, watching the various shooting stars of different colour fall over different parts of the world. "Quite miraculous indeed!"

 _ **"So let's all jump up super high,** (Jump up super high)_

 _ **High up in the sky,** (High up in the sky)_

 _ **There's no power-up like dancing!"**_

Mario looked skyward in awe, a gleaming red star present in the reflection of his big blue eyes. He backed up a step as he realized that the twirling red star was heading directly for him.

 _ **"Don't forget you're the super star!** (You're the super star)"_

The red star crashed into Mario and it was aggressively absorbed into his form. He rose slightly above the ground with clenched fists, his entire body arced back and eyes closed as he levitated for a moment. A glowing red aura surrounded him completely.

 _ **"No one else can make it this far!"**_

Peach and the others gasped as they noticed Mario was struck, rushing to his side as he dropped to a single knee, cap concealing his eyes.

 _ **"Put a comb through that stache'"**_

Peach dropped to a knee before him with a fist nervously clenched beneath her chin. The band continued to play. Mario continued to look downward, red aura still surrounding him. He held a hand over his heart.

"Mario!" Peach called, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Mario, say something!"

 _ **"Now you've got panache, oh,**_

 _ **Let's do, the-"**_

Peach cried out:

 _"STOP!"_

And the music came to an abrupt halt shortly after.

 **"Hm?"** Pauline barked, looking over at the commotion. Her eyes widened as she saw Mario was dropped to a knee, encased in a glowing red aura. She had not noticed this until now. Most of the crowd had not either, although some had already been watching with concern. **"M-Mario!"**

The sound of the mic dropping rang through the central plaza as Pauline ran over to Mario. Without a word, Mario lifted his head up and looked straight through Peach with a blank expression.

"Mario?" Peach nervously questioned, very unsettled. "Mario, are you alright?"

Mario continued to a stand in silence, causing Peach great concern as she tried to help. Mario was examining his clenched fist without a word. Peach, Daisy, Luigi, Pauline and Toadsworth watched him with anxious uncertainty. There was a short silence, the raining stars having mostly stopped by now. Daisy broke the silence.

"Hey... are you alright?" Daisy asked, an eyebrow raised in concern. "S-Say something already!"

"I… I feel incredible…" Mario answered, examining his clenched fists. "Like... Like I just got some amazing power."

"Amazing power?" Luigi gawked. "What? Really?"

That caused the others to gasp in uncertainty as well. What exactly was going on here?

 _"Well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events."_ Jolene reported to the stunned audience. The camera was focused on Mario, who was standing on stage while examining his clenched fist, surrounded by his friends. _"It looks as though Mario was struck by one of the falling stars during the performance!"_

 **"MARIO!"**

Then, the situation rapidly took a turn for the worse. Exclamation marks appeared over everyones heads. Their attention was brought to the skies, where they noticed a familiar evil duo approaching the stage from up above. Riding in his white and green "clown copter" was none other than Bowser, King of the Koopas and leader of the Koopa Troop. His loyal Magikoopa assistant, Kammy Koopa, was flying near his side on a magical broomstick.

Mario and Luigi entered fighting stances as they stood on the red velvet stage. Peach, Daisy, Pauline, and the band all featuring expressions of shock. Toadsworth was cowering behind Daisy, trembling uncontrollably.

"HEY! Don't you be hiding behind me!" Daisy scolded, hands on her hips.

"C-Come now, r-r-respect your e-elders!" Toadsworth pleaded, Bowser jumping out of his clown copter.

 _ **THUD!**_

Bowser had landed on the stage directly before Mario and Luigi, which sent everyone but Mario up into the air, including the band and the instruments. Peach and Luigi landed on their feet, but the everyone else needed to stand themselves back up. Mario remained in a fighting stance, ready to protect his friends. The clown copter flew off, with a big orange lipped smile on its face. The crowd was buzzing with nervousness, others with excitement.

 _"It's Bowser!"_

 _"Oh my god, it's Bowser!"_

 _"Bowser is here! I can't believe it!"_

 _"What are you doing, RUN!"_

 _"Mario is gonna get him good!"_

 _"GO MARIO!"_

"Bowser! And to think I actually gave you the benefit of the doubt that you _WOULDN'T_ ruin the Star Festival!" Luigi complained. "How stupid of me!"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Bowser laughed, with his arms spread wide and a happy grin on his face. "Stupid is right! You thought for a second that yours truly would even _DARE_ to pass up a once in a lifetime opportunity like this? Get real!"

 _"And it appears that just when things were getting interesting, the terrifying, evil King Bowser himself has decided to show up and crash the Star Festival!"_ Jolene reported, the camera focused on Bowser, who was still standing on the stage with a closed eyed grin, arms spread. _"This is certainly an unwelcome twist!"_

"Opportunity?" Pauline questioned, hand on her hip with a tilted head.

"Yup, that's right!" Bowser replied, erroneously pointing at the wrong news camera with a finger and sly smile. Kammy Koopa gently lowered to his side on her magical broom, hovering in place. "An opportunity to trounce Mario and kidnap the Princess in front of the entire world! Heh, maybe I'll even kidnap you too Miss Mayor, while I'm at it! Yeah baby! I'm so cool!"

"Ugh, as if I'm going away with you two!" Pauline dismissed, with an expression of disgust. "You're even worse than that smelly ape who used to kidnap me some time ago."

"Smelly ape?" Bowser gawked, confused by her recoil. "Well, I may be smelly, but I'm no ape! That's for sure!"

"This has gotten so weird." Peach sighed, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"You could say that again." Daisy concurred, with an unimpressed expression cast upon her face.

"I-Is it over yet, I say?" Toadsworth added, still cowering behind them.

 _And just when they thought the situation couldn't get anymore confusing, something else seemed to be falling from the sky towards the stage where everyone was gathered around. But this time it wasn't a star._

"What's this now?" Toadsworth barked, facing skyward, one hand behind his back and one hand on his cane. "Another star? My, and it's a big one! Yes, quite large indeed!"

"No, it's…" Luigi started, his eyes squinting.

"IT'S A WOMAN!" Daisy declared with a pointed finger, interrupting Luigi.

"A woman?" Pauline gawked, her and the band facing up as well with question marks over their heads.

"Nyeah?" Kammy Koopa growled in confusion.

This had caused the crowd to buzz once more. Bowser and Kammy Koopa examined the curious crowd.

 _"What? A woman?"_

 _"Did she just say there is a woman falling from the sky?"_

 _"Oh my god it is a woman!"_

 _"IT'S A WOMAN!"_

"Hey, you idiots! What are you blabbing on about?" Bowser growled, his expression angered. "Don't lose track! I'm the main act here, remember?"

 _But it was true. Falling from the sky like a comet was a woman incased in glowing white energy. It was an unbelievable, impossible sight._

"M-Mario, look! I-It's just like the legend said!" Luigi gasped, his fists clenched with excitement.

"Hmm?" Mario calmly barked, looking up to the sky. The red aura around him had faded by now. He saw that there was indeed a woman incased in white energy falling from the sky.

 _"This just in, it appears that there is actually a woman falling from the sky!"_ Jolene exclaimed, the news camera focusing on the descending woman.

The camera was able to get sufficient detail of the woman, and Peach brought her attention to a nearby monitor that was displaying the broadcast. She saw it all - the platinum blonde hair, the blue dress, the same closed eyes. She gasped as she recalled her nightmare.

"A-Ah!" Peach gasped, her blue eyes widening. The reflection of the incoming girl was present in her pensive blue eyes. _(Could it really be... her?)_


	2. Chapter 2: Of All The Places

**Chapter 2:** Of All The Places In The Universe

Everyone who was on the stage began to scatter with mixed expressions of surprise and panic, eager to avoid being struck by the incoming woman from above. Many from the surrounding crowd began to flee far from the stage, fearing for their safety. Kammy Koopa and even Bowser were apparently keeping their distance. Quite suddenly, the woman soared into near center stage with a loud:

 ** _SMASH!_**

The entire area rocked vigorously as the woman crashed into the stage at a tremendous velocity, smashing into the red carpet and crushing in a large section of the steel stage beneath it.

"Ah!" Peach cried, losing her footing and falling backwards. Mario caught her from behind, breaking her fall.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" Daisy cried, her arms extended on either side as she swayed, hands flailing. She was struggling to keep her balance, but she managed to not fall.

"Aiyee!" Pauline delicately yelped, stumbling in her heels. She proceeded to fall backward.

"I've got you!" Luigi heroically cried, his expression brimming with determination.

Luigi dove to catch her, but missed and instead had Pauline crash down onto his back butt first.

"Oof!" Luigi wheezed.

Toadsworth was also struggling with his footing, holding onto his cane as he grumbled. "Great galloping Goombas, this sure does takes me back!"

Why it did, no one could say. Once the tremors had subsided, Mario helped Peach to a stand. The Princess bore a soft expression, giving Mario a faint smile.

"Thank you." She said softly.

Peach's expression grew curious, her head tilted in interest as she proceeded to approach the mysterious woman. Smoke was rising from her figure, which could only be partially seen from Peachs position because of the dip she had created into the steel upon her impact.

Pauline stood to her feet, dusting herself off. She noticed Peach was walking towards the downed woman.

"Mamma mia..." Luigi groaned, lifting himself up with his gloved hands.

"Hmm?" Luigi softly barked, watching Daisy pass him as he stood tall. He directed his attention to the downed woman she was approaching shortly afterward and recoiled in surprise. "WHOA! SHE LANDED CLOSE!"

"Hey, Peach?" Daisy called from behind, her tone encouraging caution. "Are you sure you should be approaching her?"

 _"I could have been hit!"_ Luigi quietly cried from the rear.

"I must agree." Toadsworth added, nodding his head. "She could be quite dangerous! Yes, this is completely unsafe indeed."

"What are you guys talking about?" Mario barked, running towards the downed woman. "We should be checking if she's okay!"

"H-Hey, it's normal to be a little cautious! Why do you always have to be so damn reckless!" Daisy barked, a little flustered. Mario ran past her. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Without responding to any of the comments, Peach had arrived near the downed woman. She had dismissed any fears or worries. She needed answers. Upon closer examination, she could see that the woman had platinum blonde hair and a blue dress. Peach gasped, her blue eyes widened as she looked down at the woman who had fallen from the sky.

 _(It is her!)_ Peach awed in thought. Memories of her nightmare and Kammy Koopa's crystal ball were rushing back to her. _(There is no question that she is the one that I saw in that nightmare!)_

Peach remained lost in thought, her blue eyes trembling as her friends continued to speak from behind her.

 _"Peach?!"_

 _"What did she gasp about? Do you think she's alright?"_

 _"I highly doubt it! She came in like a comet, I say! Yes, guaranteed dead indeed!"_

 _"DON'T ASSUME THAT!"_

Mario was second to arrive, kneeling down to examine the downed woman with concern. Daisy, Luigi, Pauline, and Toadsworth arrived shortly after. Mario called out for someone to help him bring the woman to a stand. Daisy was the first to accept. Peach seemed lost in a daydream, staring at the soft face of the unconscious blonde haired woman in a blue dress. Her blonde bangs concealed her right eye. Mario and Daisy were helping her to a stand, the body limp and devoid of strength.

 _"Hey!"_

 _"Peach!"_

"Peach!" Mario called again, the woman's right arm weakly sprawled across his shoulders and around his neck for support, Mario holding her by her right hand and waist. Daisy was on the other side with the reverse orientation. "Snap out of it!"

"Oh…" Peach softly barked, returning to reality. "My apologies..."

"Is she dead? Oh god, she's dead! It's a dead body!" Luigi whimpered, turning around and holding back puke with his gloved hands, his face blue.

"NO SHE'S NOT DEAD!" Daisy growled, her teeth sharp for comedic effect.

"But she sure is heavy!" Daisy complained, her expression showing strain as she helped hold her up. "Geez!"

"LUIGI!" Mario cried, letting go of the woman and running forward at full speed. "Take her!"

"EYAH!" Daisy cried, collapsing from the sudden and awkward weight increase. Luigi was quick to react, taking Mario's place shortly after. They returned her to a stand with a minor struggle. "Geez Mario, what's your-"

Mario had leapt through the air, Pauline's eyes widening as she thought he was jumping for her. But he had in fact jumped above her. He soared beyond her head, his movement causing her scarlet sunhat to fly off of her brown haired head. Everyone watched in awe as Mario's white gloved fist met Bowsers massive scaly fist with a loud smack. The two of them struggled to overcome each other whilst in midair.

It was at this point that the remaining citizens who were here to celebrate the Star Festival proceeded to flee in terror, knowing full well that the scene would now rapidly grow quite dangerous. Evacuation was top priority for everyone, as even the news crew was forced to leave some of their equipment behind.

"Bwahahaha... You all didn't forget about me, did you?" Bowser grinned, the tone of his voice much more serious than before.

"B-Bowser!" Peach cried. Pauline was standing nervously by her side with a hand over her heart, in shock. She had no idea Bowser had lunged toward her from behind. Mario had saved her just in time.

Then, while still in midair, Bowser flicked his tail.

"Ugh!" Mario grunted, blocking the razor quick tail whip coming for his right side with his arms, clenched fists up. His teeth were clenched as he struggled to overcome Bowser.

But he was trapped. While still in midair, Bowser threw a vicious punch, nailing the defenseless Mario and sending him flying to Bowser's left.

 _ **CRASH!**_

Mario had crashed into the drum set on stage at a high speed. He went right through the bass drum head. Bowser landed on the stage quickly after.

"Mario!" Peach cried, Daisy and Pauline featuring expressions of surprise and concern.

"B-Big bro!" Luigi cried, still holding up the unconscious woman with Daisy.

"M-Master Mario!" Toadsworth cried, his anxiety now beyond the maximum.

"Nyeah heh heh!" Kammy Koopa cackled, hovering down to Bowser's side. "Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"We were gonna take these girls here." Bowser reminded, grinning happily while pointing at Peach and Pauline.

"Ehhh? So now we're taking both of them?" Kammy Koopa inquired, blue squiggly lines of confusion above her head. "But didn't you say-"

"Of course we are, you old hag!" Bowser attacked, dumbfounded by her question. "Why on earth wouldn't we be?"

"Oh?" Peach barked, surprised by the sudden commotion.

"Oooh, _old hag?_ How rude! I happen to be only 178 years young!"

"Oh, really? Didn't you say that you were 213 last week?"

Peach and Pauline looked at each other with confusion and unease, blinking silently.

 _"Oh, so I'm a few years off, big deal."_

 _"You call that a few years?!"_

"M-M-Master Luigi!" Toadsworth summoned, trembling with anxiety. "Leave her to Pauline and Daisy. We need you to protect us from Bowser!"

"M-Me?" Luigi nervously acknowledged, looking around. Right now, he was their only hope. His face was filled with determination, but his legs couldn't stop quivering. "Right. I-I understand."

"Wait a minute, who said I was carrying her?" Pauline declined.

Toadsworth grew hot with anger at her blatant disrespect for the well being of the Princess. "I say, how-"

"It is fine." Peach sighed, silencing Toadsworth. "I shall do it."

Peach swapped places with Luigi, Pauline opting to examine her nails instead. Peach, Daisy, Toadsworth, and Pauline proceeded to leave with the unconscious woman. Bowser and Kammy were still arguing, not noticing that the girls were getting away.

"We need to get her out of here." Daisy quietly explained. "WE need to get out of here."

"It is too dangerous to go to the hospital with Bowser still around. I don't believe she requires medical attention, anyway..." Peach spoke with uncertainty, but eventually continued to speak with more conviction. "I think it would be best to bring her back with us to the Castle, to let her rest."

"The castle, you say!" Toadsworth gawked, his jaw dropped. "B-B-But Princess, are you sure that it's wise to bring a stranger from outer space within our castle walls? It is quite foolhardy indeed!"

"I didn't think of that! What if she's a deadly human-eating alien?" Luigi cowered, hands on his face in terror.

"SHE'S NOT A MONSTER!" Daisy scolded, her teeth sharp.

"Well we can't just leave her here, now can we?" Peach reasoned. "Come now. Let us leave at once."

With that, Peach and Daisy proceeded to guide the unconscious woman towards the castle. Pauline had decided to come along to the castle as well.

Toadsworth simply heaved a sigh, apparently out of objections. "Oh dear..."

"-And you really need to learn how to respect your Koopa elders! Why, when I was your age..." Kammy Koopa lectured, Bowser featuring closed eyes and folded arms as he listened begrudgingly. He barked as he realized what was happening.

"H-Hey! They're getting away!" Bowser growled, his eyebrows harsh with anger.

"Crap!" Daisy cursed. "Keep moving!"

"Oh no you don't!" Bowser dismissed, charging towards them.

Then, Luigi slid into view from the right. He looked ready to fight. This caused Bowser to stop in place with surprise. "Huh? You?!"

"That's right, me!" Luigi replied, pointing a thumb to himself. His legs started quaking again. Regrettably, he pounded at them with his fists. "Dammit, don't do that! I'm trying to be cool!"

"BWAH HA HA HA!" Bowser loudly laughed, a happy smile on his face. "You think you can stop me? Oh, now that's rich! Well, come on! Bring it on, baby! Hit me with your best shot!"

"You asked for it!" Luigi smirked, charging at full speed with a fist charged back. "HYAAAAAAH!"

"HA!" Luigi cried, smashing his fist right into Bowser's stomach with all his might. Bowser didn't even flinch, he simply stood there with Luigi's fist against his stomach.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Luigi cried, backing off while whipping his hand in pain.

Luigi noticed he was suddenly smothered in shadow. Still whimpering in pain, he looked up and saw the massive King Koopa standing before him, his face totally black with red eyes.

"Now it's my turn..." Bowser warned, charging a fist.

Mario's silhouette rose from the broken drum set.

"Oh boy." Luigi gulped, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Bowser was about to smash Luigi, but found that his own face had been smashed instead. Mario was in midair, his fist digging deeper into Bowsers squashed cheek. His eyes were concealed in darkness from his famous red cap, his expression serious. The punch was so powerful that it had caused Bowser to lift off of his feet. Mario landed beside his brother, one white gloved hand against the stages red carpet. Bowser was flying, eventually crashing into the back of an abandoned MK News van that was located quite some distance off of the stage. Mario stood tall, adjusting his cap.

"Mario!" Luigi cheered, relieved to see his brother was totally fine.

"Luigi." Mario silenced, keeping his eyes on the crashed van. "You need to go and protect the others."

"Huh?" Luigi barked.

"Kammy Koopa. She's following them." Mario explained, his eyes not breaking sight of the van. "I'll bet my hat she's planning a surprise attack. You need to make sure everyone makes it back to the castle safely."

Mario's tone was serious. It caused Luigi to form a serious expression. He felt a surge of courage. He gave his brother a determined nod. "You can count on me, brother."

"Good." Mario softly smiled, seeming relieved.

"MARIO!"

Peach had suddenly cried out to him. Exclamation marks appeared over Mario and Luigi's heads. "Oh?" Mario and Luigi barked, turning towards her.

Peach was totally fine, Pauline and Daisy holding up the unconscious woman as they all made their way down the cities main street. Also near Peach was Toadsworth, with one hand on his cane, the other behind his back.

"Hyah!" Peach grunted, tossing a white letter that sparkled with magical pink light.

Mario and Luigi watched with wonder as the magical letter soared across the area and into Mario's hands. Mario examined the reverse side and saw that it was sealed with a pink heart sticker. He looked back up at Peach, who was now quite far away.

"I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you!" Peach called out to him, with her hands by her face. "You must defeat Bowser, Mario! I just know you can do it!"

Mario gave a determined nod back. Peach was smiling. Then, she turned her back to him and continued with the others.

"Well, I'm off." Luigi concluded. "Be careful, okay bro?"

Mario nodded. With that, Luigi ran to catch up with the others, leaving Mario all alone. It was strange. Just a little while ago, the central square was bustling with people who were celebrating a miraculous event. Now, the street lights were shining down on deserted cobblestone. Mario directed his attention back to the van. He could hear noises coming from it. His eyes narrowed with determination.

 **/**

Luigi was walking a few paces ahead of the group. They had no problem reaching Castle Road, which was the dirt path that led to Peach Castle. It had only been a few hours since Luigi had walked this way with Mario, but now it felt as though that was part of a total different day. It was now late into the evening.

"How much more of a walk is it?" Pauline complained. "These heels are really starting to hurt my feet."

"Hey, you're not allowed to complain if you're not gonna help carry!" Daisy hushed. Her forehead bore some sweat from helping carry the unconscious woman with Peach. Peach had opted to endure the ordeal in silence.

"Hmph." Pauline scoffed. "Well, whatever."

"Don't overexert yourself, Princess." Toadsworth advised.

"I am fine." Peach softly assured.

"Sorry, Peach." Luigi sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'd take your place, but I need to be ready for anything."

"I understand, Luigi." Peach acknowledged. "You are a most wonderful escort. Thank you."

The group continued to walk up Castle Road in silence for a few moments. Eventually, a familiar cackle could be heard from up above, which caused exclamation marks to appear over everyones heads.

"NYEAH HEH HEH!"

"Kammy!" Luigi cried while looking skyward, getting into a fighting stance. The others stopped in place, facing the incoming Magikoopa with dread and caution.

 **/**

 ** _BANG!_**

The loud sound had caused Mario to flinch. Much to his surprise, the news van had completely blown apart. Its pieces had scattered in multiple directions, Mario diving into the prone position while holding his cap in order to avoid getting hit by the rogue van door. He grit his teeth as he stood back to his feet, directing his attention back to where the van was previously. Standing there was Bowser, who had grown twice in size during his time in the van. Paulines scarlet sunhat was lying peacefully on the cobblestone of central square, right before Bowsers foot. He took a stomp forward, crushing the hat completely as it disappeared beneath his step.

"It's just you and me, Mario." Bowser grinned, clenching a fist. "But you're no match for me now."

Mario had a determined expression as he entered a fighting stance, fists clenched tight. "Let's-a-go."


	3. Chapter 3: A Fight Against Familiar Foes

**Chapter 3:** A Fight Against Familiar Foes

"Hyah!" Mario cried, jumping straight for Bowser at high speed with a clenched fist.

Bowser charged back a fist, ready to meet the incoming Mario. While in midair, Mario turned his body and surprisingly met Bowser's extended fist with a powerful roundhouse kick.

"Grgh..." Bowser grunted, surprised by the sudden kick.

Mario then used his other foot to jump off of his extended fist, his figure zipping high into the air with a whoosh. Bowser was slow to lift his eyes, and before he knew it Mario had stomped down right on his face with his brown booted foot.

Although it seemed like Mario had nailed Bowser with a powerful stomp, the Koopa King didn't even flinch. In fact, he even still had his eyes open. He grabbed Mario by the ankle, boot still on his face.

Mario's eyes widened. "A-wa-wa-wa-wa!"

With a whip of the arm, Bowser tossed Mario into a nearby city building. Smoke accompanied the impact of his crash. Bowser turned towards the smoke, and to his surprise, Mario was already zipping out of it with a quick jump. He had slight scratches on his face, his teeth clenched as he charged back a punch. Bowser crossed his arms in a V formation to block the attack.

 **SMACK!**

The impact of the punch made a fierce sound, the force blowing Mario's hair for a moment.

"Bwahahahaha! Is that all you've got?" Bowser mocked, still blocking the attack. "How sad! You'd best take some vitamins, 'cause that didn't hurt at all!"

Mario bounced back, avoiding any potential counter attack that Bowser may have planned. He slid backwards on the cobblestone, using a single gloved hand to brake. He looked up with harsh eyebrows.

 **/**

Back near Peach Castle, Luigi was confronting Kammy Koopa, the girls and Toadsworth in the rear.

"I had a feeling that you'd show up!" Luigi started, in his fighting stance.

"Oh? Is that so?" Kammy Koopa inquired, baring a single gnarled tooth. "Or was it Mario who had that feeling?"

"T-That's-" Luigi took a step back. He figured that she must have eavesdropped on him and Mario.

"Trying to flee without fighting power?" Kammy Koopa continued, hovering upon her broom. "That was foolish, I fear. I will be taking the girls."

"Ha! As if I'm gonna let that happen!" Luigi laughed, thumbing to himself heroically. "I _am_ the fighting power!"

"Nyeah heh heh..." Kammy Koopa laughed, raising her golden wand. "We'll see about that. Now, witness my power!"

Luigi had a determined expression as his focused increased, a single sweat drop sliding down his forehead. Daisy and Peach watched with concern while holding the unconscious woman, Toadsworth cowering behind them. Pauline was standing slightly offside, somewhat absent-mindedly.

Magical geometric shapes formed around the ruby tip of her wand as it absorbed energy. Brimming with light and fully charged, she sent her attack... at Daisy.

"Ehh?" Daisy barked, her eyes widening as she realized the attack was heading towards her instead of Luigi.

She was defenseless. Preoccupied with holding up the unconscious woman, she had no time to react. She was struck with the magic, which took the form of twirling geometric shapes. A piercing sound, like deafening interference, shot through the air, and she suddenly found her form had been irradiated and was glowing. Much to her dismay, and everyones surprise, she proceeded to transform.

Peach winced as she could no longer hold up the woman, the support from Daisy removed completely. She had no choice but to release her, the woman falling to the dirt of Castle Road.

Everyone gasped as they looked at the strange creature on the dirt path. It was a frog with bright blue eyes. It also had Daisy's green and white flower earrings.

"R-Ribbit!" Daisy nervously croaked.

"EEEEEEEEK!" Toadsworth and Luigi squealed, hands on their faces in terror. Pauline also featured an expression of disgust and terror, Peach remaining quite serious.

"HOLY CRAP, SHE'S A FROG!" Luigi cried, pointing at Daisy with a gloved finger.

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa loudly cackled, hovering high up in the air. "Fools! Never underestimate the power of magic!"

"Toadsworth." Peach ordered, her expression serious. "Run ahead to the castle. Get the Toad Brigade."

"What? And leave you here in danger?" Toadsworth retorted. "Balderdash, I say! I simply won't!"

"They have no idea what is happening." Peach explained. "We, Mario... We might need the back up!"

"Y-Yes, but I can't just abandon you here in such a perilous situation!" Toadsworth explained, clearly conflicted.

"I need you to go and send for reinforcements." Peach ordered, her tone firm. "That's an order!"

Toadsworth heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "Very well, then. I shall be off."

With that, Toadsworth proceeded to run towards Peach Castle. He had quite a ways yet, so they needed to buy some time.

Peach turned to Frog Daisy, who seemed quite unhappy with her new form.

"Do not worry, Daisy." Peach assured, feeling sad for friend. "You will be back to your usual self shortly, I am positive!"

Kammy Koopa watched Toadsworth run while hovering on her magic broom from up above.

"Oh? Reinforcements, eh? That would be most unpleasant." Kammy Koopa declined, raising her magic wand. "We can't have that, now can we?"

With terrible timing, the old Toad had tripped and fallen flat on his face.

"Toadsworth!" Peach cried, her fists clenched.

Luigi winced, shielding his eyes. He peeked through his gloved fingers.

"Oh, dear!" Toadsworth groaned, his cane rolling away from him.

"Oh, how _marvelous_! You make it too easy!" Kammy Koopa swooned, launching a second magic attack straight for the back of the downed Toad.

"Get up, man! Hurry!" Luigi cried. But it was too late.

"ERAGH!" Toadsworth cried, his form irradiated as he proceeded to transform.

Peach, Luigi, and Pauline gasped as they saw Toadsworth had been transformed into a snail. His shell featured the same spotted colouring as Toadsworth's top. It also wore the same spectacles, and looked as though it might have been saying something along the lines of "I say!".

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa roared, nearly falling off her broom from raucous laughter. "Now that's a more suitable form! You'll never reach the castle now!"

"Ooh, crap! Dammit! You son of a bloody gun!" Peach cursed, all huffy with teary eyes.

"P-Peach!" Luigi gasped, not used to hearing the princess curse. Pauline also looked quite surprised.

"S-Sorry! So sorry!" Peach apologized, taking a deep breath. "I let my emotions get the better of me. My sincerest apologies, everyone."

"Er... now, I shall turn you all into helpless beings!" Kammy Koopa mocked, raising her wand whilst hovering up above on her magic broom. "Prepare to be defeated!"

 **/**

Mario was running in a large circle, avoiding the fireballs which Bowser was launching out of his mouth. The large buildings were relatively tolerant to the flame, but some of the outside props such as signs or foliage was getting destroyed. Mario decreased the radius of the circle with each lap, seeming to dodge Bowsers fire with ease. As Bowser charged up a big fire blast, Mario made a break for the tail. However, just before he could grab it, Bowser leapt high into the air, landing safely across the deserted plaza.

"Bwahahaha! That ol' trick again?" Bowser laughed. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you think you're gonna defeat me!"

With harsh eyebrows of determination, Mario ran straight for Bowser. With a speedy skip, hop, and twirling jump, he had performed a triple jump. Bowser charged back a fist, looking up at the rapidly twirling Mario. Mario shot out of his twirl with a racing stomp, which was stopped by Bowsers massive fist. Mario featured clenched teeth, once again unable to overcome Bowser by brute strength.

"Ha!" Mario barked, backflipping off of his feet and landing on the plaza with a single gloved hand. He stood up and adjusted his cap. "Well, this is going nowhere fast."

Mario reached into his pocket, pulling out the letter Princess Peach had given him. He examined the pink heart sticker which sealed the envelope, memories rushing back to him:

 **{** "Hyah!" Peach grunted, tossing a white letter that sparkled with magical pink light.

Mario and Luigi watched with familiar wonder as the magical letter soared into Mario's hands.

"I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you!" Peach informed, hand by her face. "You must defeat Bowser, Mario! I just know you can do it!" **}**

"I've got one shot at this." Mario warned himself, opening the letter. "I gotta make sure it counts!"

 **/**

Pauline, Peach, and Luigi were running around aimlessly, avoiding the countless magic attacks that were raining endlessly from up above. Geometric shapes scattered violently as they struck the earth with a zap, missing their targets.

"Nyeah heh heh!" Kammy Koopa cackled, launching more attacks. "It's only a matter of time before you're struck! You're all just helpless idiots in stinky diapers, running around aimlessly!"

(Crap, I gotta do something!) Luigi winced, his teeth clenched and forehead sweaty. A magical attack just missed his head. Luigi placed his hands on his capped head while ducking. "YIKES!"

"Ugh, I can't run in these stupid heels!" Pauline complained, struggling to take off her shoes. Before she had the chance, she was struck with a magical attack. "AIYEE!"

"PAULINE!" Luigi and Peach cried, watching in terror as her form was irradiated with light.

As the brown haired woman transformed, a strange creature had appeared on the dirt path once again. It was a scarlet scaled snake, purple eyeshadow on its eyes.

"SHE'S A SNAKE!" Luigi gasped, his face turning blue with fright.

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa boomed, swooping down on her magical broom while holding a small cage with small spacing between its thin bars.

She grabbed Snake Pauline, who emit a large hiss, forked tongue whipping viscously. Kammy Koopa tossed her into the cage quickly and locked it. She rose back up into the air, nibbling with a gnarled tooth exposed. Luigi and Peach were in defensive stances, the angry Frog Daisy and Snail Toadsworth safe distances away. The unconscious woman was still on the dirt path nearby.

"Well, Luigi? You've already lost three of your friends now, and you haven't even laid a finger on me!" Kammy Koopa mocked. "What ever shall you do?"

"Do not listen to her, Luigi." Peach comforted. "All we have to do is defeat her, and everything will be alright."

"Mm." Luigi nodded, keeping his eyes on Kammy. A single sweat drop was on his forehead. (But how the heck am I supposed to do that?)

 **/**

"Hm?" Bowser barked, examining the item in Mario's hands. "What's this?"

Bowser was not familiar with this item. A white wing with a red P on it, the P-Wing. Mario looked at it with a serious expression. "This is a P-Wing. With this, I will defeat you."

Mario clenched his fist around the item, white wings forming on his cap thanks to the power of the P-Wing. Glittering light occasionally rained down from the magical wings.

"Bwa ha ha! An item? You think some silly item is gonna help?" Bowser mocked. "I've been all powered up by that old hags magic! I'm indestructible now!"

Mario squatted in place, a fist clenched at his hip, a palm facing forward. **"Para-Para..."**

"You don't stand a chance." Bowser grinned, shaking his head.

Mario launched forward with zooming speed, a ring of smoke launching outward from where he stood. He twirled while in flight, which sliced the air like a super sonic jet. His arm extended with a clenched fist, expression determined. It was all too fast to process for an observer. Before Bowser could even react, Mario had nailed him in the stomach with his white gloved fist, which sunk in quite some depth.

"Hooomph!" Bowser wheezed, his eyes widened.

 **"AERO- _PUUUNCH!"_** Mario cried, racing lines emphasizing his attack.

"GWAAAAAAAAAH!" Bowser cried, getting launched far away.

Bowser was launched hundreds of feet through the air before even connecting with the ground. He bounced off of one of the cities main streets like a rubber ball, and again, continuing down the eastern street until an abandoned taxi finally caught him. It was violently crushed inward from the weight of the Koopa King, the spikes on his shell ripping into its metal. Bowser simply laid there stomach up, his eyes whited out.

 **/**

Peach and Luigi were growing tired. They had been constantly evading Kammy Koopas seemingly endless attacks, which rained relentlessly down upon them.

"I-I'm going to attack her!" Luigi decided, his eyebrows narrowed with determination. "I'm gonna do it!"

"No Luigi, it is too dangerous!" Peach explained, evading another attack. "She'll strike you with her magic before you can reach her!"

"But we can't just dodge her forever!" Luigi explained, running past the unconscious woman for the umpteenth time, who was just laying there on the dirt road. Luigi continued to dodge attacks. "We need to act!"

"Then we shall go to the castle!" Peach decided. "I will retrieve Daisy and Toadsworth. You go on ahead!"

"But what about the Mayor?" Luigi reminded, not accepting this plan.

"It will be alright. Mario will defeat Bowser and rescue Pauline from her." Peach assured. "I believe in him."

(Should I really just run and leave this all up to Mario?) Luigi thought, gritting his teeth. He closed his eyes in anger. (Maybe it is the best idea... Dammit! Why do I have to be so damn weak?)

"Go, Luigi." Peach ordered. "I will be with you shortly."

Luigi hesitated, his teeth clenched. Regrettably, he started to run for the castle. He closed his eyes and sprinted, and Kammy Koopa watched from above with interest. "Hm? What's this now? Running away?"

She then turned and noticed Peach was walking up to Frog Daisy, her back exposed. "Oh, no you don't!"

"Come with me, please." Peach softly ordered, bending down and extending her delicate hands. "Let's go to the castle."

But it was already too late. Before Frog Daisy could even hop onto Peachs hands, she had been struck by the magical attack from behind. She cried out.

Luigi gasped, his eyes widening. He turned around and saw Peach was irradiated with light, her eyes closed.

"PEACH!" Luigi cried, tears in his eyes.

"L-Luigi, r-run!" Peach begged, before she proceeded to transform.

Much to his dismay, he saw that Peach had been transformed into a fluffy white rabbit, with no accessories. Her gold crown crashed onto the dirt path nearby, its gemstones glistening sporadically in the moonlight. Luigi stood there, a single tear sliding down his cheek.

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa cackled, flying down to the helpless Princess with a cage. Peach attempted to flee in her smaller form, but was claimed with little effort. Kammy Koopa eagerly stuffed her into the cage. "That makes two. That's all folks! Lord Bowser will be so pleased! Off I go!"

 **"WAIT!"**

"Hmm?" Kammy Koopa barked, nibbling on a gnarled tooth. She was hovering in the air once again, the caged, transformed girls on her person. She looked at the hero in green, who seemed furious as he stood there with clenched fists and teary eyes.

"Oh, it's just you." Kammy Koopa retorted. "Shouldn't you be running away?"

"Give me back my friends." Luigi ordered, wiping his tears with a gloved fist. His expression was serious. His usual cowardice, non-existent.

"And just what are _you_ gonna do, exactly?" Kammy Koopa challenged, remaining calm. "Peach is right, you know. You should just go and get help. Leave it to Mario to do all the work. You, obviously, are incapable."

Luigi grit his teeth with anger. Kammy Koopa's mocking had gotten the best of him, much to Peach's dismay. Luigi proceeded to charge at full speed towards Kammy Koopa, an impressive speed at that. "I said, GIVE ME BACK MY FRIENDS!"

Luigi then shot high into the air, getting ready to perform a wicked roundhouse to the hovering Magikoopa. It would have done an impressive amount of damage, but all Kammy Koopa had to do was simply lift herself a little higher. She near effortlessly dodged the attack, Luigi proceeding to fall back down. Kammy Koopa raised her magical wand, geometric shapes gathering around the ruby embedded on its tip.

"You're wide open!" She cried, launching her attack.

Luigi's eyes were concealed in the shadow of his cap, his expression full of despair as he fell back down, defenseless. He was struck with the magical attack, his form irradiated with light. He had been defeated.

 **/**

"Ergh..." Bowser groaned, hopping back up onto his feet. The crushed Taxi remained stuck on his spiky shell, Bowser standing on his feet.

Mario had a determined expression as he soared through the city, flying above the road illuminated by streetlights. People were watching with awe safely from within the nearby buildings, their windows white squares in the night.

(If I get hit even once, I'll lose this power. I need to be careful!) Mario thought, wind racing through his hair and 'stache.

Bowser saw Mario was zooming towards him, so he took quick action to jump high into the air. Mario watched and saw he had landed on a nearby rooftop. The building was five stories tall, so the jump was quite impressive. Mario swooped upward, making sure not to lose Bowser. He saw him standing on the building, and Mario was quick to zoom into him with an extended fist. He didn't give the slow Koopa King any chance to counter attack.

"Hrgh!" Bowser growled, blocking the attack with his arms in a V formation.

But it was too powerful. Bowser was launched backward, twirling through the air with the crushed taxi still stuck on his shell. Mario racing through the air like a bolt, his vision narrow like a tunnel. His expression was intense.

 **"Now Para-Para..."**

Mario managed to clasp his white gloved hands around Bowsers tail in midair. The twirling Bowser came to an abrupt halt, which caused him to bark in surprise. It wasn't long before he found himself spinning again, however. While in midair, Mario began to spin Bowser round and round by the tail. He was spinning around so fast, that a whirlwind had formed around them. People watched with awe from the safety of the city buildings. The whirlwind grew stronger and stronger as Mario continued to spin Bowser, the P-Wing abilities allowing him to hover as he spun. High up in the air, he eventually released Bowser with a powerful toss.

 _ **"CYCLONE!"**_

Bowser zoomed through the air, his body whirling in the same direction Mario had been spinning him. A cyclone of slicing wind surrounded him as he headed for the central plaza. This gave his body minor cuts in various places, mostly along his arms. He then smashed into the stage used earlier this evening at a high velocity, destroying it completely. All parts of it had come crashing down, the big lighting equipment falling down on him.

Mario landed on the stone title of the central square, the wings of his cap flapping gently in the night breeze. There was a ton of smoke around the demolished stage, where he had sent Bowser. Mario waited anxiously for the thick smoke to subside, eager to see if he had been victorious. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw something emerge from the smoke at a high speed. It was the crushed taxi.

"A-wa-wa!" Mario cried, seeing that it was heading straight for him.

But he was too slow to react, rather, it had been thrown too fast. Mario got stuck to the bottom of the tossed Taxi, which carried him then smashed into a building. The taxi fell down to the ground, Mario's eyes closed as he remained stuck against the side of the city building for a brief moment. There was a slight streak of blood coming from his forehead, his eyes closed. The wings on his cap blinked in an out of existence before fading away. He had lost the power of the P-Wing.

Mario fell from the building and onto his stomach right around the time Bowser stood up, the smoke almost entirely dissipated by now. Bowser was standing there, breathing heavily. His eyes were red from within the smoke. Shortly after, the smoke had finally subsided. Mario was dropped to a knee, one eye closed as he examined his opponent across the plaza. He saw Bowser was quite angry, a streak of blood coming from his forehead as well.

"Gwa ha ha..." Bowser wheezed. "You had your chance to defeat me, but it looks like you have lost that now."

Mario said nothing, one eye closed as he looked at his opponent with heavy breathing. He was still had one knee against the ground, an arm resting on his other thigh.

"You are simply too weak to fight me, now." Bowser reminded, his breathing heavy as he stepped closer. Mario did not move. Bowser looked down at him with a victorious grin. "This fight is over."


	4. Chapter 4: The Princess of the Galaxies

**Chapter 4:** The Princess of the Galaxies

Back on Castle Road, everyone in the group had been transformed into some sort of creature. Luigi, after being struck by the magic attack during his descent after his heroic attempt, had also been transformed. He safely landed on the dirt path as an orange cat, dressed in blue overalls and a green shirt. The cat of course, also had Luigi's green cap on its head. The cap was a tad large for its head, but it stayed on regardless. Its yellow eyes blinked twice as it stood in place on all fours.

"Meow?"

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa howled, still hovering up above. "Enjoy your new form, Luigi!"

Snail Toadsworth, Cat Luigi, and Frog Daisy all had expressions of despair upon their defeated faces. Bunny Peach and Snake Pauline also looked hopeless, locked in separate cages beneath Kammy Koopas cloak.

"Hey, at least I showed some mercy and transformed you into something cute." Kammy Koopa mocked. "You should be _thanking_ me! Bwee hee hee hee!"

Cat Luigi grit his teeth, preparing to hiss at the mocking Magikoopa up above. Her purple cloak waved in the night breeze as she prepared to take off.

"Well, I'm off!" Kammy Koopa waved, preparing to leave. "Toodle-oo!"

Before Kammy Koopa could leave, something bothered her. A sudden thought was clouding her mind. It was very intrusive. It felt eerie.

"Hm?" Kammy Koopa barked, directing her attention to the dirt path.

It was the unconscious woman. Lying there, her turned head against the dirt of Castle Road. Despite this, she looked rather graceful.

"Hmm... I feel the sudden need to cast a spell at this one, too. Just to be safe." Kammy Koopa thought aloud, a single sweat drop present on her forehead.

Kammy Koopa then revealed her golden wand, ruby on its tip gleaming once in the moonlight. By now, everyone was quite familiar with the magical shapes that orbited the gemstone as she charged the attack. Kammy Koopas silver hair whipped as she launched her attack, and everyone was forced to helplessly watch as the magical shapes twirled towards the defenseless unconscious woman.

Much to everyones surprise, a clear, bright blue barrier had formed around the girl with a heavenly hum. This not only protected her, but also sent the magic attack flying back towards its point of origin at twice its initial velocity.

"EEEEP!" Kammy Koopa squeaked, her hands up high and jaw dropped. She was trembling with shock as she saw her attack coming right back at her. Her purple witch hat hovered above her head, stiff with fear.

She no longer had the time to dodge. She was struck with her own attack, her form irradiated.

"EYAAAAH!" Kammy Koopa cried, her entire presence glowing just like the others had.

The two cages containing Snake Pauline and Bunny Peach had crashed to the ground, opening as they landed. The two of them escaped with gleeful expressions. Shortly afterward, everyone proceeded to glisten with magical purple light. As Kammy Koopa transformed, Peach, Toadsworth, Daisy, Luigi, and Pauline had all proceeded to transform as well. Perhaps, since the magician who had cast a spell on them has now transformed, her spell no longer held its effect. But who could say for sure? At any rate, one by one, each of them returned to their normal state of existence.

"Oh, how splendid!" Peach cheered, fists clenched beneath her chin with glee. "I am back to my usual self!"

Daisy also had returned to her usual self, her face puckered in disgust. "Oh, GROSS! UGH, that was absolutely disgusting!"

Toadsworth transformed back as well, cane not yet in hand. He adjusted his vest with glee. "I say, how positively splendid! Good to be back in my own skin indeed!"

Pauline was also back, her expression pure disgust. "Oh my GOD, talk about _nasty_! Why, you all should have just put me out of my misery the moment you saw me like that!"

"THAT'S TOO DRAMATIC!" Daisy scolded, her teeth sharp.

Luigi had also transformed back to his usual self, calmly examining his gloved hands. He was somber.

"Luigi!" Peach cheered, giving a big smile. "I am so glad that you are back with us."

"A-heh." Luigi softly laughed, gripping the brim of his hat. "Same with you."

Kammy Koopa had landed on the dirt path, but not as herself. Everyone looked over to see that she had been transformed into a red eyed, purple furred raccoon with gnarly orange teeth. It was beyond ugly, and its hair all matted too. The raccoon stood there in surprise, baring its crooked orange teeth.

"Oh, my god. Gross." Pauline shunned, with an expression of disgust.

"WOW, that's ugly!" Daisy dismissed, turning her cheek with a hand. "Hurts to look at!"

"Truly a terrible sight!" Toadsworth agreed. "Yes, quite horrid indeed."

"Now everyone." Peach softly hushed. "Do not be so cruel. That is a living, breathing, creature with a heart and soul. It has feelings."

"Oh brother." Pauline groaned, rolling her eyes with folded arms.

The purple racoon remained there, frozen in place with its big widened red eyes. It still bore its crooked orange teeth. Peach was about to step forward to comfort it, a heart warming smile cast upon her soft face. She had her arms spread, welcoming the animal.

"Come here, it is-"

As soon as Peach moved towards it, it scurried backward while still facing forward with that same expression. It was lightning quick, escaping into the dark bush before anyone could even react. It was gone. The night wind sudden felt brisk and chilly.

"Oh my!" Peach gasped, blue eyes widened in surprise.

"What a strange creature that witch managed to transform herself into." Toadsworth thought aloud. "Yes, quite unusual indeed."

"That creature wasn't natural. I mean, the rest of us were normal animals or insects or whatever, right?" Daisy questioned, raising an interesting point.

"Well, everyone except for you." Pauline sniped, looking up from her nails with a smirk.

"SO NOW YOU'RE FINE WITH YOURS?" Daisy scolded, her teeth sharp.

"You are right, Daisy." Peach agreed, finger on her cheek in thought. "It is odd that Kammy transformed into something so strange and unnatural."

"Hey, what happened to it being a precious living thing with feelings?" Pauline smirked, head slightly tilted.

"Maybe it has something to do with how it struck that barrier that formed around her." Luigi hypothesized, hands in his pockets.

Everyone was facing him. He looked away, scratching his head. "Like, I don't know, maybe the magic was changed in some strange way after striking the barrier."

"Wow, Luigi!" Peach praised, her hands flat and together against her tilted head. Her eyes were replaced by stars, a smile of awe upon her face. "That is really clever! I bet this girls magic barrier totally messed with Kammy's spell!"

"Brilliant deduction, I say!" Toadsworth agreed, cane back in hand.

"I mean, it's just an idea... I can't say for sure." Luigi dismissed with a blush, not making eye contact. It was very difficult to not be flattered by praise from a princess, no matter its accuracy.

"I mean, is that really the biggest mystery here?" Pauline intervened.

Everyone faced Pauline with soft barks of surprise.

"Whatever do you mean?" Peach asked, placing her crown back upon her head.

"What I'm saying is, just who is this girl?" Pauline questioned. Things felt ominous now, even the night wind possessed an eerie feel. Everyone listened, feeling strangely on edge. Pauline had captivated them.

"She falls from like, what, _the sky_? You saw how fast she came in, right?" Pauline reminded.

Memories rushed back to them:

 **{** Everyone who was on the stage began to scatter with mixed expressions of surprise and panic, eager to avoid being struck by the incoming woman from above. Many from the surrounding crowd began to flee far from the stage, fearing for their safety. Even Bowser and Kammy Koopa were apparently keeping their distance. Quite suddenly, the woman soared into near center stage with a loud:

 _ **SMASH!**_

The entire area rocked vigorously as the woman crashed into the stage at a tremendous velocity, smashing into the red carpet and crushing in a large section of the steel stage beneath it. **}**

"Any normal person would have been squashed like a tomato from something like that." Pauline reminded, one hand on her hip, the other pointing a finger. "But here she is, passed out. Not a scratch."

"That's true, how on earth did she survive something like that?" Daisy questioned, hand on chin in thought. "Let alone come out from it unharmed."

"Maybe it had something to do with the energy that was surrounding her when she was coming down?" Luigi proposed.

Memories rushed back to them:

 **{** "What's this now?" Toadsworth barked, facing skyward, one hand behind his back and one hand on his cane. "Another star? My, and it's a big one! Yes, quite large indeed!"

"No, it's…" Luigi started, his eyes squinting.

"IT'S A WOMAN!" Daisy cried with a pointed finger, interrupting Luigi.

"A woman?" Pauline gawked, her and the band facing up as well with question marks over their heads.

"Nyeah?" Kammy Koopa growled in confusion.

This had caused the crowd to buzz once more. Bowser and Kammy Koopa examined the curious crowd.

 _"What? A woman?"_

 _"Did she just say there is a woman falling from the sky?"_

 _"Oh my god it is a woman!"_

 _"IT'S A WOMAN!"_

"Hey, you idiots! What are you blabbing on about?" Bowser growled, his expression angered. "Don't lose track! I'm the main act here, remember?"

Falling from the sky like a comet was a woman incased in glowing white energy. It was an unbelievable sight.

"M-Mario, look! I-It's just like the legend said!" Luigi gasped, his fists clenched with excitement. **}**

"You know, like the old legend says." Luigi added.

"Hm..." Daisy thought, her expression pensive.

"And then there's all that magic crap!" Pauline rambled. "The weird barriers... they even show up when she's passed out like this and protect her from the koopas magic thing."

"Hey, everyone." Daisy summoned, her tone curious. She had everyones attention. She had a hand on her chin in thought. "Don't you find it odd that she crashed where she did?"

"What do you mean?" Toadsworth piped, his interest piqued. "Speak up, I say!"

"Crashed where she did?" Luigi pondered, gloved hand on chin in thought.

"You mean the stage, correct?" Peach questioned with a tilted head, her hands together, arms in a V formation.

"Yeah... I mean, the legend says she's been soaring through space for like, what, a thousand years? You'd cover a large amount of distance in that time." Daisy continued. She paused, her eyes narrowing. "So don't you think it's kinda weird that she happened to crash right where all of us happened to be gathered, of all places?"

Peach felt a shiver down her spine. It had not occurred to her how odd that was. She remained silent as Daisy continued to speak.

"The shooting stars were falling all over the place, miles and miles away. You all saw it for yourselves." Daisy reminded. "But she happened to fall right where all of us were gathered. The world is far too big for that to be simply a coincidence, wouldn't you agree?"

Luigi met her eyes, a single sweat drop sliding down his forehead. "So what you're saying is-"

"Perhaps it was _intentional_." Daisy concluded, her blue eyes serious.

Luigi gulped. It was an eerie thought, that this soaring enigma, this woman from an ancient legend, may had intentionally crashed where they all were. "I mean, that's just a theory..."

"No. I think Daisy is right." Peach agreed, softly silencing Luigi. She was alight, speaking with conviction. "There is something that I have neglected to tell you all."

"Princess?" Toadsworth barked, everyone facing her with their full attention.

"Earlier today, I was asleep. You all remember, it is why I was late for the Star Festival. However, try and recall that I had said that I did not remember going to bed." Peach explained.

 **{** After several minutes of waiting, Peach had finally opened the bedroom door. She looked like her usual self, dressed in a pink dress with a crown delicately placed atop her blonde haired head. She looked apologetic as she reunited with everyone, who all seemed relieved to see her.

"My sincerest apologies, everyone. I-I was asleep." Peach informed, quite embarrassed.

"ASLEEP?" Daisy, Luigi, Mario, and Toadsworth gawked in near unison.

"But how could you possibly be asleep on a night like tonight!" Luigi cried, nearly slapping his own face with his hands.

"It is strange... I do not remember going to bed. I do not even remember feeling tired, in fact." Peach softly explained, looking downward and to the right with a somber expression upon her face. "Not too mention, I had the strangest nightmare. It was... horrible." **}**

"That's right, I remember now." Daisy recalled. "You mentioned something about having a strange nightmare. I guess I ignored it at the time, since we were in a hurry."

"Right, Daisy." Peach confirmed with a single nod. Her expression grew somber. "While I was asleep, I had a dream... She was in it."

Now, everyone was clinging to every word Peach had said with expressions of upmost interest. Peach continued to speak. "I saw her. It was definitely her, soaring through the night sky. Just like how we saw her at the Star Festival."

"Are you serious?" Daisy gawked, her expression stone cold serious. Everyone was in utter disbelief.

"W-Wait, so are you telling us that you had some sort of... prophetic dream?" Luigi asked, growing nervous.

"Yes." Peach assured, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, her expression darkened. "But given the circumstances, I wonder if she _forced_ me to have it."

Everyone gasped. Luigi felt a chill down his spine. He directed his attention to the unconscious girl lying on the dirt path. Her eyes and lips were softly closed. The more Luigi stared at her and thought about everything, the more ominous she became. Was she truly orchestrating all of this? Or was it just a coincidence? What was her motive?

"Seriously, who the hell is she!" Pauline cried, getting more and more weirded out by the minute.

"I say, to force the princess into such a nightmare... Just who in bloody hell does she think she is!" Toadsworth huffed, his face flustered. "I deem her as most unsafe indeed!"

"What was so nightmarish about this... vision, anyway?" Pauline ventured to ask.

"Well..." Peach started, admittedly somewhat embarrassed. "I know it sounds crazy, but Kammy Koopa and Bowser were in my dream, too. They told me that..."

Peach stopped herself. She wondered if it would be a good idea to tell them what exactly her dream had said about this woman. If they decided to believe her. they wouldn't bring this woman into the castle, that's for sure. Mario definitely wanted to see the woman brought to safety. She decided to hold her tongue.

"Nevermind." Peach decided. "I can't explain it very clearly."

"M-Maybe we shouldn't bring her back to the Castle." Daisy suggested, trying to hide the fact that she was growing nervous. "I mean, just in cause."

"I couldn't agree more, Princess Daisy!" Toadsworth added vigorously.

"Now hang on just a moment." Peach silenced, with a hand. "I do not think she is dangerous. In fact, it is likely the opposite!"

"What makes you so sure?" Daisy challenged, arms folded.

"Well... she just got us out of this bind, right? Thanks to her, we are alright." Peach reminded.

"Well hold on, that's not necessarily true." Luigi challenged, with a hand. "Kammy just so happened to attack her, which just so happened to backfire. I think we just got lucky."

"Do you think so?" Peach asked, her head tilted with a pink question mark over her head.

"Y-Yeah." Luigi confirmed, admiringly less certain now.

"Well, I would have to kindly disagree." Peach declined, with a hand.

"What? Why?" Daisy asked, seeming to agree with Luigi.

"Do you all remember hearing Kammy Koopa say that she had "felt the sudden need" to attack her?" Peach reminded, finger on chin as she looked to the stars above while in thought. "Just as she was about to leave, mind you."

"Nope, I didn't hear a damn thing." Pauline countered, with a grin. "I was just a deaf snake."

"SNAKES AREN'T DEAF!" Daisy scolded, her teeth sharp.

"I think she may have encouraged Kammy Koopa to attack her somehow." Peach explained, her expression now pensive and her arms crossed. "Just like she may have encouraged me to have that dream."

"Gee, maybe that's right." Daisy admitted, somewhat dumbstruck.

"If that were the case, then she would definitely be our ally..." Luigi thought aloud, scratching his head.

"By golly, which is it, I say! Friend? Or foe?" Toadsworth cried, perplexed. "Quite the mystery indeed!"

"I believe she is an ally." Peach decided. "If she is not, that is fine. Just like Mario, I wish to help her. Let us take her back to the Castle with us."

"Very well, Princess. I trust your judgement." Toadsworth reluctantly accepted. He murmured under his breath. "Although I don't suspect that this night will pass without a glass of brandy..."

"I want to believe in her, too. So let's do it." Daisy agreed, with a soft smile.

"Hm." Luigi nodded. "Count me in!"

"Everyone." Peach smiled, her blue eyes glistening with joy. "Thank-"

"Aww, what's with this mushy crap!" Pauline interrupted, with an expression of annoyance. She pointed a finger at Peach, hand on her hip. "Everything you said is just a bunch of theories based on some coincidences. Where's the evidence?"

"Well. I suppose we will not know for certain until she wakes." Peach agreed, fist softly clenched over her sapphire brooch in determination. She had grown rather irritated by Pauline at this point. "But you're right, I do not have any evidence. So I suppose I have decided to act out of faith. You, however, may sit here all you like and look at all of the puzzle pieces, and build a villain out of her. I'm sure you'll make a great case for it, too. I, however, have decided to trust her."

"I say, well said Princess!" Toadsworth praised, with a hearty fist.

"Psh. Well, I want nothing to do with it." Pauline declined, turning towards Mushroom City. "I'm going to go back to my apartment, put on a face mask, and listen to some smooth jazz."

"P-Pauline!" Daisy called, extending a hand to signal her to stop from behind. "Come back! It's too dangerous to go back into the city, with Mario and Bowser still fighting!"

"I'll be fine." Pauline declined, dismissing her with a wave.

"But-"

"Just let her be." Peach softly advised. "If she doesn't want to come, we can't force her."

"I guess you're right..." Daisy reluctantly agreed, seeming somber. Pauline was arrogant and a bit unkind, but Daisy, or any of them for that matter, would never wish for something bad to happen to her.

"M-Master Luigi!" Toadsworth barked, his eyes widened in surprise.

That caught Daisy and Peach's attention as well. They noticed Luigi was lifting the unconscious woman all by himself.

"A-Are you sure that's a good idea?" Toadsworth questioned, eyebrow raised in concern.

"Luigi, we can help." Peach reminded.

"Yeah, no need to show off or anything." Daisy added. "I can help carry her. too. I don't mind."

"No, it's okay. I got her." Luigi sighed, the unconscious woman slung over his shoulder, her arms hanging. "Besides, I'm not much of an escort, apparently. This is the least I can do."

(Luigi...) Peach frowned, sadness in her blue eyes.

 **/**

Back in Mushroom City, Mario was stepping backward with clenched teeth and one eye closed. He was blocking the furry of finger stabs Bowser was attacking him with, deflecting the blows with his arms. Eventually, he had slipped up and Bowser managed to stab a single pointed claw into his arm.

"AAAGH!" Mario cried, holding onto his arm. Blood had been drawn.

With an expression of determination, Mario performed a roundhouse to the side of Bowser, his arm dead and unusable at the moment. Bowser blocked the attack with his left arm, fist clenched. Bowser didn't even struggle to overcome Mario's kick.

"You're losing your strength!" Bowser grinned, still blocking the kick. "I can feel you getting weaker!"

"Same goes for you." Mario countered, his teeth clenched, one eye weakly closed.

"Bwa ha ha ha..." Bowser laughed, whipping his tail.

Mario exited the kick too slowly and let out a painful grunt as he was struck in the side by Bowsers vicious tail whip. Time appeared to be in slow motion as his brown booted feet lifted off of the city streets. He slowly flew through the air, eventually hitting the deserted street and sliding to a halt. His eyes were concealed in shadow, street lights shining down on his defeat.

"Ha... Ha..." Bowser breathed, growing tired. He examined the downed Mario up ahead for a moment. "I've... finally defeated you."

Mario said nothing, lying there on the street. People were watching with expressions of despair and sadness within the safety of the surrounding buildings. Many were eager to see him get back up. Some turned off the lights, not able to watch any longer. The ground shook with each step from the approaching Bowser. Mario's eyes remained closed.

 **/**

Princess Peach's Castle was truly a sight to behold. Its surrounding moat glimmered in the moonlight as it splashed against the castles stone walls. The rooftop was red in colour, with four pointed towers on each of the corners of the rectangular structure. There was also a tall tower rising from the rooftops center, which also came to a point and featured a magnificent glass mural of Princess Peach looking skyward. On each of the five tower points was a triangular red and white flag.

The group of them had gathered at the end of the Castle Road, which stopped before the stone bridge that crossed the moat surrounding Peach Castle. This stone bridge lead to the castles main entrance, which were double brown doors with golden knobs. It was late in the night, and Peach had an expression of worry upon her face.

"Mario still hasn't returned." Peach fret, her hands together.

"Mario doesn't usually have this much trouble with Bowser, does he?" Daisy worried, growing concerned as well.

"Do not fret, Princess!" Toadsworth eased, with a fist of good cheer. "Master Mario is one fine old chap indeed! Surely he'll defeat Bowser soon!"

"Yeah, Mario will be okay." Daisy assured, regaining her confidence. She shot Peach a big grin. "He always pulls through, doesn't he?"

"You are right..." Peach softly agreed. She looked back towards Mushroom City, which was bright in the distance. (Mario...)

"U-Umm, guys?" Luigi called, his expression filled with anxiety.

Question marks appeared over Peach, Daisy, and Toadsworth as they turned towards Luigi. They gasped as they saw what was happening.

"S-She's waking up!" Luigi informed, his eyes widened as he held the waking woman from the legend in his arms.

 **/**

Bowser was laughing under his breath as he stomped closer and closer to the downed Mario, his evil thoughts and feelings of victory making it impossible for him to not grin. Then, to his surprise, Mario proceeded to glow with a red aura. Startled, Bowser stopped in place. Mario's eyes were once again filled with life.

"Huh?" Mario barked, bringing himself to a stand.

Once standing, Mario was examining the red aura that was glowing all over his body.

"Hey, this is the same thing that happened when I got hit by that star at the Star Festival!" Mario thought aloud, recalling the incident.

 **{** Mario looked skyward in awe, a gleaming red star present in the reflection of his big blue eyes. He backed up a step as he realized that the red star was heading directly for him.

 _ **"Don't forget you're the super star!** (You're the super star)"_

The red star crashed into Mario and it was aggressively absorbed into his form. He rose slightly above the ground with clenched fists, his entire body arced back and eyes closed as he levitated for a moment. A glowing red aura surrounded him completely. **}**

"Yeah, that's right!" Mario confirmed, absolutely sure of it now. His eyes were full of curiosity. "But why is it back now?"

"Bwahaha..." Bowser laughed, taking another stomp closer to snap him out of it. "I'm surprised you can stand again."

(This power...) Mario awed, his eyes trembling as he looked at his gloved hands. (I feel incredible!)

The glowing red aura remained around his body. He knew that this time, the power would last. The feeling was not fleeting.

"Not that it matters." Bowser dismissed, his fists clenched. "I'll burn ya too a crisp, right here, right now!"

Mario softly barked, turning his head to Bowser. He just now realized the Koopa King was standing there. He stood in place as Bowser charged up a massive fire breath, his face glowing red hot. Mario's eyebrows were narrowed in determination as he stood there, a glowing fist clenched from when he was examining it. Bowser released a devastating fire blast, which was impossible for Mario to dodge. Mario stood there, completely consumed by the fire blast.


	5. Chapter 5: Awakening

**Chapter 5:** Awakening

Citizens of Mushroom City watched with anticipation for the scorching blaze within its streets to subside. At long last, Bowser finally closed his mouth and stared ahead with deep red eyes. He waited anxiously to see if Mario had burned to a crisp. He was sure he had, as he saw the hero in red get submerged in his flames.

However, much to his surprise, Mario was perfectly fine. It seemed impossible, there was no way he wasn't hit with his fire blast. But there he stood, white gloved fists clenched at his sides, his eyes determined. Bowser's eyes were trembling with awe, his jaw dropped as he saw part of Mario's face slowly being rebuilt over flame. It was as if Mario himself was made of fire. Bowser had never seen anything like it. "W-W-What the-?"

"Surprised? Ha, I gotta admit, I was a bit shocked myself." Mario grinned, while also remaining serious. "But now I understand it all."

"B-But how?" Bowser awed, unable to comprehend what was happening. "How are you still standing?"

"It was that star that hit me during the festival." Mario explained, looking at his fists. He ignited them with flame on command. "It was a Goddess Star. The Fire Star, to be more specific."

"The Fire Star?" Bowser gawked, curious as much as he was confused.

"My new powers have only just awakened, but already I understand them." Mario explained. He looked up at Bowser with determined but calm blue eyes. "I feel as good as new! And with that fire blast you just hit me with, I'm full of energy!"

Mario then dropped down to a squat, bring his hands by his sides as if he was charging up a ball. Bowser backed off a step with a nervous sweat as Mario's entire form ignited in energetic flame.

 **"Fire..."**

"Bah!" Bowser dismissed with the swipe of the arm, growing angry. "So you're resistant to fire! It doesn't matter, I already know how weak you are when I'm in this form! Your attacks are useless!"

 **"BLAAAAST!"** Mario screamed, releasing a vortex of sharp spiralled flame directly at his opponent.

The powerful flaming attack struck Bowser right in his massive stomach, and he was immediately lifted off of his feet. Time appeared to be in slow motion as Bowser's eyes widened from the shock of the attacks strength. All the spectators safely watching from within the surrounding buildings gasped in awe as they saw Bowser fly into the distance.

 _"GWAAAAAAAAH!"_ Bowser cried, a twinkle in the night sky accenting how far he had traveled.

 **/**

Back at Peach Castle, the midnight moon was glowing brightly above. It was ominous, especially on a night like tonight when so many strange, inexplicable things had occurred. Luigi, Peach, Toadsworth, and Daisy were standing before the stone bridge that led into Peach Castle via the main entrance. They were examining the woman who was now standing tall, a hand on her head as if she had just smacked it against something.

The woman had platinum blonde hair, her eyes a light blue. She had a long bang which obscured her right eye. She was quite tall, wearing a dress with a lovely blue colour. She had no accessories, and for someone who was supposed to be a princess, she had no crown either.

"Ugh, my head..." She complained, her teeth clenched and eyes closed as she rubbed her head. "I must of hit it pretty hard..."

"Wait, you don't remember what happened?" Daisy gawked, seeming surprised.

"Huh?" She slowly replied, facing the woman in an orange dress. Her speech was quite sluggish, her reactions slow. "Remember what? Who are you guys?"

"You don't know us?" Luigi questioned, scratching his head with a single gloved finger.

"Umm..." She had paused, taking some time to think. "I don't think so. Am I supposed too?"

"Psh, you're asking us?" Daisy countered, her arms folded.

"I say, just what is going on here?" Toadsworth gawked, seeming baffled that this woman was apparently so lost.

"She is... probably just a little confused, everyone." Peach assured with scarce conviction. She gathered herself and looked into the womans -upon a closer look- cyan eyes with her own. "Please, might you tell us who you are? Your name?"

"My name? It's... Rosalina." Rosalina answered, looking skyward in calm thought afterward. "I'm the Princess of the Galaxies."

"So then you really are the Princess of the Galaxies!" Peach awed, her eyes lighting up. "How splendid. I am Princess Peach, of the Mushroom Kingdom. You may call me Peach."

Peach took a moment to introduce the others to Rosalina. Upon meeting Toadsworth, she seemed to have already known what a Toad was, curiously enough.

"So this means that the legend is one hundred percent true!" Luigi cheered, jumping in place with a clenched fist. "Yahoo!"

"..." Rosalina stared blankly, her expression dopey. She held her head in pain after with a single hand. "I have the worst headache. What a pain."

"Well yeah, you did smash into a steel stage at terminal velocity." Daisy reminded, her arms folded. "It's amazing you're even alive!"

"I did?" Rosalina acknowledged, looking downward with a sort of secretive smile. "Aww. I wish I had landed in water instead, hehe."

"Wait, so, you did not intend to land where all of us were gathered?" Peach questioned, her head tilted.

"..." Rosalina stared at Peach blankly, apparently taking her time to think. "Sorry... I don't know what you mean. But I don't think I had any control over where I landed."

"I say, so it _was_ a coincidence after all!" Toadsworth gawked, hopping once in place. "What are the chances of that indeed!"

"So... you're not actually looking for us?" Luigi thought aloud, scratching his head.

"Sorry..." Rosalina answered, not making eye contact as she looked off to the right.

"And lemme guess... You didn't consciously protect us from the frog magic, either?" Daisy added, her teeth clenched as if she was slightly angry.

"Frog magic?" Rosalina questioned, seeming totally lost. A blue question mark had appeared above her head, which wobbled left and right before slowly fading out of existence. "Now I'm really lost."

"Great galloping goombas, Pauline was right after all! It all really was just a coincidence!" Toadsworth gasped, hopping once in place.

"I don't friggin' believe it!" Daisy growled, her teeth clenched with a dumbfounded hand, other hand on her hip.

"But hold on just a moment! I saw you!" Peach objected, her fists clenched as she grew a little huffy. "Perhaps less than an hour before you crashed into the earth during the Star Festival, I saw you in my dreams!"

"Wow, really? So you had like, a prophetic dream?" Rosalina gawked, her expression remaining calm as she looked skyward with a finger on her chin in imaginative thought. "Interesting. I should try and remember this."

"What else do you remember?" Luigi challenged.

"Umm... Let me think..." Rosalina accepted, taking quite some time to continue speaking. "The last thing I remember was... blonde hair."

"IT'S DRAPED RIGHT OVER YOUR EYE!" Daisy scolded, her teeth sharp.

"..." Rosalina stared blankly at Daisy for a moment. Shortly afterward she looked downward with a hint of sadness on her face. "Oh, that's true. Sorry."

"It is alright." Peach assured, a single sweat drop behind her slightly tilted head for comedic effect.

"Hey, if you're a princess, shouldn't you have a crown or something?" Luigi questioned.

"Hm? That's weird, I thought I had one." Rosalina softly barked, exploring the top of her blonde head with a hand. She was quick to dismiss the thought, but slow to respond. "I must of lost it somewhere. What a pain..."

"Well, perhaps you could tell us why you are here?" Peach persisted, trying to get more information from the galactic visitor.

"Umm... Well, I've been travelling through the galaxies for these last one thousand years..." Rosalina explained, finger on her chin as she looked up at the stars in thought. "And... now I'm here."

"And do you have some sort of purpose, now that you are here?" Peach persisted, fishing for more.

"Uhhh... oh yeah! Right!" Rosalina suddenly remembered. The tone of her voice was much more enthusiastic. "Since I'm here, the Goddess Stars must have crashed all around this world with me."

"The Goddess Stars, you say?" Toadsworth acknowledged, a single eyebrow raised.

"The stars that we all saw raining down from the skies during the Star Festival, no doubt." Daisy suggested.

"Yeah, big bro was struck with one of them!" Luigi remembered, pounding a fist onto his palm. "Then he was glowing red and stuff."

"If that's true, he probably got a Goddess power from it." Rosalina informed, looking at Luigi while pointing an informative finger. "The Goddess Stars are made out of the same energy from the Goddess herself, after all."

"Is that the same energy that was surrounding you as you fell from the sky?" Daisy questioned.

"Yup." Rosalina answered, with a nod at no one in particular. "That energy left me in the form of Goddess Stars as I fell, and they fell all over this world. This, I know for sure."

"They should cover cars with that stuff, I say!" Toadsworth suggested. "You crashed right into steel, and just look at you! Not a scratch to be found! Not a scratch indeed."

"Princess Rosalina, what exactly is a Goddess Star?" Peach questioned, her head tilted with her hands clasped together.

"And who exactly is this Goddess, indeed?" Toadsworth added, rubbing his chin in thought.

"The Goddess?" Rosalina acknowledged, apparently alarmed by the question but remaining ever so calm. "Umm, well, she's the Goddess."

Her answer wasn't very informative or convincing, but at the same time it was acceptable.

"The Goddess is ultimate, all-being, and all powerful..." Rosalina continued, her expression calm. "So, the Goddess Stars each contain a power of unlimited, boundless potential. Touching a Goddess Star will grant one such power."

"WOW, REALLY?" Luigi cried in awe, stars replacing his excited eyes. "I gotta get me one of them! I'll be unstoppable!"

"I bet one of those would sell for a pretty penny." Daisy added, money signs replacing her eyes.

"I suspect that people have already claimed the Goddess Stars and acquired their powers." Rosalina thought aloud, looking downward with folded arms, a hint of sadness on her face. "And since I'm now conscious, those powers have probably already awakened. I think."

"So, basically _super powers_ were raining from the sky?" Luigi awed, his excitement growing. He clenched his fists and teeth, eyes closed and knees bent with excitement. "Oh man, that's so cool! If I had of known that before, I would have tried to catch one!"

"I hate to say it, but... this may be trouble." Peach warned, her expression somber. "In the wrong hands, these powers could be a danger to society."

Peach reflected on the warning she had received in her nightmare. Perhaps this was it?

"I say, I hadn't thought of that!" Toadsworth gasped, hopping in place. "Indeed, I know of a certain loon who would use such a power to try and take over the kingdom!"

"So, we just gotta gather all of these Goddess Stars and keep em' from falling into the wrong hands, right?" Daisy suggested, hand on her hip, the other raised in thought.

"No, that's not possible." Rosalina declined, her eyebrows narrowing in semi-seriousness.

"What? Why not?" Daisy barked, certain her plan was solid.

"One Goddess Star can only be claimed by one person. So once it's claimed, that's it." Rosalina explained, pointing an informative finger. "Its energy will remain within them until they die."

"Also, each person can only withstand the energy content of one Goddess Star." Rosalina added, with a single finger on her chin as she looked skyward. "I think."

"You don't seem very confident about that..." Daisy sniped, hands on her hips, leaning forward a bit.

"So a single person can't get multiple powers?" Luigi asked, seeming bummed out.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure only one per person." Rosalina answered. The way she talked was quite slow and relaxed, as if she was constantly spaced out. "Also, the power of a Goddess Star is acquired through touch. So as soon as someone touches one, it gets used up for good."

"It seems like it would be most difficult for anyone to gather all of these Goddess Stars." Peach admitted, hand on chin in thought. "Even if we used a net or something, I suspect that most of them have already been claimed. As for tracking down any remaining ones..."

"It would be a pain." Rosalina assured, seeming defeated by the mere thought.

"You're right, they're probably getting used up by the second." Daisy added, her teeth clenched.

"They are quite pretty, indeed." Toadsworth added. "I believe most peoples first instinct would be to grab such a mysterious, beautiful object."

"So, Princess Rosalina. You still have not fully answered my question." Peach reminded, gathering everyones attention. "The Goddess Stars have fallen to our world along with you, but now that you are here, what are you to do?"

Rosalina met her blue eyes with her own. She shyly looked to the right, fist clenched near her chin. "Huh? I... I don't know."

"You don't know?" Daisy challenged, hand on her hip.

Rosalina shook her head, not making eye contact. Peach's eyes narrowed as she looked at the otherworldly visitor, lost in thought. (There has got to be more to this then she is leading us to believe. I am certain of it!)

"Welp." Luigi sighed, weakly kicking his boot at the dirt. His hands were tucked into his overall pockets. "This turned out to be pretty anti-climatic."

"Pfft, I'll say." Daisy growled, seeming more angered than disappointed. "I was expecting you to be so much more cool and mysterious. But you're just like, some lazy teenager."

"Sorry about that." Rosalina apologized, with a secretive smile.

"A teenager? But isn't she technically over a thousand years old?" Toadsworth challenged, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Oh yeah..." Luigi sang in realization while placing a white gloved hand on his chin in thought, tapping a boot. "You have been soaring around for so long, yet you look younger than I do! What gives?"

"Oh, umm... explaining that would be a pain." Rosalina dismissed, her hand rubbing her straight arm in uncertainty. "Something to do with the Goddesses energy and special relativity and junk."

"Well I'll be." Toadsworth calmly awed, hands on his hips.

"Do not worry, Princess Rosalina." Peach comforted, stepping closer. Rosalina gasped softly as Peach claimed her bare hand within her white gloved hands. She looked into Rosalina's eyes with her own, her expression peaceful. "You must be very confused."

"T-That's-" Rosalina stuttered, blushing slightly as Peach continued to hold her hand. Her voice was soothing, her words comforting. It made Rosalina feel at ease.

"You may stay here at the Castle for as long as you wish." Peach offered, still holding her hand.

Normally Toadsworth would immediately object to such a proposition, but he had already known that she had planned on doing this.

"R-Really?" Rosalina barked with widened eyes, surprised by her offer.

"Mm-hm." Peach confirmed, with a nod.

"I..." Rosalina shyly started, looking downward. She seemed conflicted.

"So, what do you say?" Daisy asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's not like you have any other place to go, right?"

"Yahoo! I'm always up for a new friend!" Luigi smiled, jumping with a clenched fist.

"Are you all sure I won't be a pain?" Rosalina fret, looking downward in shy sadness.

"Nonsense. We would be delighted to have you." Peach assured.

"Umm... Okay." Rosalina agreed, looking Peach in the eyes with a tense lip in awkward shyness. She gave an unsure bow. "Thank you."

"Alright!" Luigi cheered, with a fist.

"Welcome aboard." Daisy added, with a soft toothless smile.

"Stay out of trouble, you hear?" Toadsworth warned, his tone friendly. "Rule number one is safety!"

"Please pardon Toadsworth." Peach assured, with a soft smile. "We are delighted to have you, Princess Rosalina."

"You are all so friendly and kind." Rosalina blushed, hand on her arm. She was feeling bashful. "Thank you."

"Just wait until you meet Mario!" Luigi grinned, hands behind his head. "He's just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet!"

"Mar-io?" Rosalina thought aloud, sounding out the name. Her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Oh? Is something amiss?" Peach sniped, keenly watching Rosalina.

"No." Rosalina assured, her expression calm, as usual. "It's nothing. Just thought I might have remembered something."

"Ugh, can we go to bed already? It's the middle of the night!" Daisy complained, a hand on her hip. "At this rate we'll be out here until morning."

"Ahh, yes. You are right." Peach agreed, her hands neatly together, arms in a V formation. She looked at Rosalina. "Let us show you your new bedroom."

"I-I get a bedroom, too?" Rosalina gawked, her tone full of surprise but expression calm.

"Of course." Peach smiled.

"Heh heh, just you wait until you see the inside!" Luigi grinned, barely containing his excitement. "Talk about luxury!"

"Wow... I can't wait to sleep in a big comfy bed!" Rosalina awed, yawning afterwards.

"HOW CAN YOU BE TIRED!" Daisy scolded, her teeth clenched.

The gang exchanged laughs, happy to welcome their new friend. Although they did not discover much about the Princess of the Galaxies herself, they did learn about the Goddess Stars. As the evening of the thousandth year concludes, what could Princess Rosalina's awakening mean for the world around them?


	6. Chapter 6: The Soul Contract

**Chapter 6:** The Soul Contract

It was late in the evening, and the rain had proceeded to fall. The dark windows of the sleeping city were wet with rain drops, calm slanted rain visible in the streetlights.

Mario was lying on the wet streets with his back to the cobblestone, his eyes closed peacefully. He may or may not have been sleeping, but he was not snoring. The camera zoomed in closer to his unconscious face before fading to black. A vortex of blue chains in a purple and black background transitioned us from reality to dream.

 **/**

Mario awoke and had found that he was locked inside of a cell. He was sitting on a thin mattress that lie over a thin board. The makeshift bed was about 2 feet above the ground, and was supported by chains which went into the wall. Mario was hatless, his brown hair scruffy. He was wearing a typical white and black stripped jailers uniform, barefoot with a ball and chain attached to his right ankle. His hands were cuffed with what appeared to be magical handcuffs. They were made of otherworldly stone, glowing an eerie blue.

"Oh?" Mario barked with rather calm confusion, standing tall.

 **"*chuckle*... Despite being thrust into such a strange situation, you do not panic."**

"Huh?" Mario barked, turning towards the iron barred door of his cell.

Mario noticed there was a wooden table in the center of what appeared to be a cylindrical room. The mature, deep male voice had come from a man in a black suit who was sitting at the table in a blue chair with a tall back, his white gloved hands neatly together on its surface. He had a white formal undershirt, a black tie, and black pointed shoes as well. What was most odd about this man was the strange, eerie purple mask that was upon his face, unable to conceal all of his long grey hair which was flowing behind.

The mask had bright red-yellow eyes with green pupils, and yellow and green spikes all around it's heart shape. The sight of it alone would have sent chills down just about anyones spine, but Mario was unshakeable.

There was a young girl with a small build and medium length dark green hair wearing a light green tunic, standing at the right of the desk. The sleeves of the tunic were a darker green than the torso, which also featured a dark green collar of the same shade. She had a green tunic belt with a gold buckle as well as green boots. Finally, she also wore a green headband. Her eyes were blue, and based on her expression alone it was difficult to tell if she was serene or somber. She gave a quick bow. Her voice was soft and full of youth, but surprisingly mature.

"It is my pleasure to introduce Master Majora, inmate N-64."

Mario looked around, and noticed that the cells in the cylindrical room were organized by a rows that were assigned a letter. The cells were assigned a number within that row. There were a ton of cells, but no one was in any of them. It was also odd that the floor was set to row N, with no stairs or floors above to provide access to the other cells above and below.

 **"This room is merely a cognition that has been modified for the purpose of our discussion and holds no bearing in reality."** Majora informed, noticing Mario had been examining the prison quite intently. **"Please refrain from dwelling on such trifling matters."**

"Pay attention, inmate N-64." She warned, her voice soft.

Mario turned towards them without a word, but they gave him a bad feeling. His eyes narrowed in caution. Majora gave a calm chuckle, which caused Mario to ease with a mild bark.

 **"*chuckle* This one is worthy of being called by his own name, Miss Saria."** Majora decided.

"My apologies, Master." Saria apologized, with a bow. She looked at the prisoner with a calm expression. "Mario, is it?"

"That's right." Mario replied, with a nod. "Who are you two?"

 **"You may call me Majora."** Majora introduced, his tone mature and voice deep. **"And this, is Saria. She serves as the warden for this... jail of souls."**

"Jail of souls?" Mario questioned, his head tilted. He looked down at his hands, examining once again the glowing magical cuffs that locked them in place.

"Those are in place to prevent you from using your Goddess power." Saria explained, with a hand.

"Really? It's not like I'd use them on you guys, anyway." Mario frowned.

 **"*chuckle* A trusting fellow. How admirable."** Majora nodded, his expression impossible to gauge since he was wearing a mask. His chin was resting upon his clasped fingers, elbows on the table. **"However, a lack of caution may one day cost you your life. It would be most wise to keep that in mind."**

"I'll be okay." Mario kindly argued. He proceeded to look around again. "So what is this jail of souls, exactly?"

"The jail of souls serves as a prison for all who are bonded by contract." Saria explained, with a hand.

"Contract? Did I really sign something so bad it would imprison my very soul?" Mario questioned, seeming uncertain.

 **"We are all bounded by the chains of reality. Helplessly destined to suffer during our short and tragic existence, both tempted and harmed by acts malevolence and greed... But what Miss Saria is referring to concerns the Goddess Stars."**

"Since you have acquired the power of a Goddess Star, your soul is bound to this place through contract." Saria explained.

"Wait, what do you mean by my soul being bound to this place?" Mario questioned, head tilted in thought.

 **"In the events that your life is cut short, you will end up imprisoned here."** Majora explained.

"Wait, what? I didn't know that was part of the deal!" Mario fret, appearing nervous.

"Relax, Mario." Saria soothed, raising a hand partially. A magical scroll had appeared before their very eyes. "You have not yet signed the soul contract."

"I'm not signing something like that, no way!" Mario resisted, turning his head with closed eyes while remaining handcuffed.

 **"Sign the contract, or forfeit the power of the Goddess Star."** Majora explained, nodding with his hands together upon the tables surface. **"These are your choices."**

"Wait, so in order to keep my powers I need to sign the soul contract?" Mario clarified, his head tilted.

"Yes." Saria nodded.

"And if I sign it, in the events that I die... I'll be imprisoned here?" Mario continued, looking forward.

"That is correct." Saria confirmed, with a hand.

"Gee, that's really tough..." Mario admitted, looking downward with a nervous sweat.

 **"*chuckle*... Such are the ramifications of acquiring true power."** Majora warned.

"In the event that you refuse your newfound power, the Goddess Star from which you obtained it will reappear somewhere in your world." Saria explained, with an informative finger. "You will then be returned back to your world with no other consequences."

Mario was looking downward in thought, weighing his options. He eventually looked straight ahead once again with an expression of determination.

"I accept." Mario agreed, his expression serious. "With this, I'll be able to protect my friends. I'll be able to protect our kingdom, and I'll be able to get _hers_ back."

"What happens to me doesn't matter." Mario continued, his expression brave with closed eyes. Thoughts of Princess Peach, his brother Luigi, Pauline, Princess Daisy, and all of his friends flashed through his mind. He opened his eyes. "As long as I know I can protect them... as long as I know that they will be alright, I can rest in peace!"

 **"My, my... How valiant."** Majora praised, hands on the table and legs crossed beneath. **"Saria."**

Saria marched toward the imprisoned Mario with a floating quill pen and contract at her side. They hovered into Mario's cell, the magical quill pen nesting in his gloved, cuffed hand.

"Please sign the contract to receive your new power." Saria ordered, with a hand.

Mario did not hesitate, nor was he eager to sign. On the bottom of the page was a line next to small italic words, which Mario did not read. They happened to read "enter your file name". Mario sighed the contract.

"The soul contract has been signed." Saria informed, making the document and utensil disappear into shimmering light. "And so, the power of the Fire Star is rightfully yours. Congratulations."

(Everyone... I'll protect you.) Mario assured, his eyes trembling in determined thought.

 **"*chuckle*... Do take care not to die a foolish death."** Majora warned. **"The consequences are severe."**

"Of course I won't." Mario retorted, brimming with confidence.

 **"I hold high expectations for you."** Majora informed, with a hand.

Once again, a vortex of blue chains in a purple and black background transitioned us from dream to reality.

 **/**

Mario could hear the rain again. Somewhere nearby was Pauline, who was driving in a red convertible. Her red nails gripped over the steering wheel as she drove through the rain with tired eyes. Her cell phone lit up on the passenger seat as she received a text message. She glanced down at it.

1:26 AM

 **Waluigi:** "Subject: Carnival?"

"Ugh, I totally forgot about that." Pauline groaned, unlocking her cell phone while driving. She tapped away with her thumb while controlling the steering wheel with the opposite hand. The windshield wipers were moving slowly to remove the calm rain.

1:27 AM

 **Pauline:** "Yes. I'll send you more details in the morning."

1:27 AM

 **Waluigi:** "Excellent."

"Geez, he answers so quickly. Seems like a total creep." Pauline dismissed, giving an expression of disgust. She looked up from her phone and her eyes widened in terror as she saw a figure standing in the wet headlights. She screamed as she slammed her heel onto the brake pedal. "YIIIII-"

The car screeched as it came to an abrupt stop. Pauline looked up as she heard someone pat their hand twice on the hood of her convertible. She saw it was Mario, who was soaking wet with a big smile on his face, waving at her.

"Mario?" Pauline calmly awed in surprise. She put the car in park and unlocked the doors so that he could get in. Mario recognized the sound, and proceeded to make his way to the passenger side, looking awfully happy for someone who was soaked and nearly hit by a car.

He opened the door and immediately proceeded to sit down. "Hi Pauline!"

"No no no!" Pauline panicked, not wanting him to sit directly on the car seat with his wet clothes. But it was too late, as he had already sat down. She faced forward with a pout. "Ugh."

"Something the matter?" Mario asked, seeming clueless.

"It's nothing." Pauline dismissed, looking out her car window with disappointment.

"How is everyone else?" Mario asked, with a hand. "Did they make it back to the castle?"

"We ran into that old hag, and she gave us some trouble but we pulled through somehow." Pauline explained, oversimplifying the story purposefully. "They should be back at the castle. I decided to go home."

"Oh, that's good to hear!" Mario smiled. "Glad they made it back alright."

"*sigh* Look, I don't really want to drive you all the way back to the Castle then back home again." Pauline complained, putting the car back in drive. "I'm eager to get home, so you can just stay at my place for the night. K'?"

"Okay." Mario nodded, seeming totally fine with the idea.

Pauline had turned on the radio, a dull expression on her face as she drove through the rainy streets of Mushroom City. The song was titled Beneath the Mask.

"Well this brings back memories." Mario laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Driving through the city streets together, heading to an apartment. Haha, feels like I've been transported back in time!"

"You know, it's easier if you just don't bring up the past." Pauline sighed.

"Well I know we're both thinking it anyways." Mario argued, with a hand. "Besides, it's just a comment."

"Yeah, I suppose." Pauline surrendered, not seeming to care anyway. There was a brief period of silence before Mario spoke again.

"Do you ever miss home?" Mario asked, his voice soft. "Our world, the big city?"

"What? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" Pauline retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I guess I'm just feeling... reflective today." Mario shrugged, after finding the right word.

"Well... yeah, sometimes, I guess..." Pauline shrugged, coming up to a red light. The car had come to a stop before she spoke again. "I mean, it's all just so strange. How one day we suddenly ended up in this great, wide, wacky world."

Mario did not speak, his silence granting Pauline the opportunity to speak her mind freely.

"But I mean, I'm okay. I'm used to my new life here." Pauline admitted, driving through the green light in the deserted streets. "I enjoy my job as Mayor of Mushroom City. The people here like me. Plus, I'm a lot more successful here than I was back home."

Mario persisted his silence, listening intently to his old companion speak her mind. She smirked with a small laugh, looking at Mario.

"And you are certainly far more successful here as well." Pauline sniped, jabbing at his past.

"Heh, I can't argue that." Mario grinned. He turned and looked out the rain splattered passenger window. He reflected with a soft smile on a time when mentioning his past may have hurt him.

Eventually, they had arrived outside of Pauline's apartment, which was located in the far reaches of the eastern district of Mushroom City. The eastern district of Mushroom City was full of expensive homes and apartments, and the farther one travelled from central square the more expensive they got. Only the richest people in the Mushroom Kingdom could afford to live here.

Mario and Luigi had traveled through the northern district earlier. It was through this district that one can reach Peach Castle via the northern gate. The northern district houses the lovely and world renown Heart Gardens, the far edges of it lining the pathway to the northern gate. Within Heart Gardens located in the middle of dirt path intersections were silver fountains of Princess Peach with her arms raised, water shooting from a spout atop her head that was concealed by her metal crown. Stone curved bridges over gently flowing rivers were accompanied by four stone pillars with stone Stars positioned on their flat tops. Also worth noting in the northern district are the few "hole in the wall" type restaurants and cafes, as well as the cities massive public library.

It was dark inside of Pauline's apartment. The only light came from Pauline's ensuite, as she was standing in front of the bathroom mirror in a satin red nightgown, removing her makeup. Mario was lying on the living room couch, looking up at the roof in deep thought while beneath a spare white blanket reserved for guests. It was too dark to see many of the details in the apartment, but it was easy to see that it was a very nice, spacious place. There was also a large framed picture of Mayor Pauline in formal red clothes with a dark sunhat and gold accessories, her hands neatly together. She was on the left side in the picture with the dark silhouette of Mushroom City behind her, yellow taxi's providing a splash of colour. On the bottom of the picture in large white font were the words Mushroom City. Eventually the light from Pauline's room no longer crept into the living room, and Mario was submerged in near complete darkness. Her heard the bed inside her room make a sound from Pauline's weight. His mind was racing.

The scene was very metro. A city full of yellow cars, and based on the models of the vehicles it was sometime before the 1990's. Near a famous bridge by some glistening water was a considerably heavier Mario, who was dropped to one knee before a thin woman wearing a scarlett dress. In his hand was an opened box containing a lovely ring, the red heel of the woman backing off a step in shock. The solitary diamond sparkled as it rested on the white gold band. People watched the soundless scene. The woman started to laugh, although you could not hear it. Mario's eyes were concealed with shadow. A frown had formed across his face.

Mario's eyes narrowed as his finished the memory. He shook his head. Thoughts of Princess Peach entered his mind. He thought of a memory where she was outside of the castle tending the gardens. Mario had approached her from behind, and she had turned to him. He thought of the way her blonde hair moved, the way her blue eyes looked into his. He remembered her smile.

(It was all for the better.) He thought to himself. He lifted a fist out from under the blanket, examining it with a determined expression as he held it high. (And with this new power, I will protect everyone. And I will help Daisy get her kingdom back.)

Confident that his newfound power would be able to help his friends, Mario closed his eyes and proceeded to drift to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: A Hero On The Horizon

**Chapter 7:** A Hero On The Horizon

Gathered in the main foyer of Peach Castle were a number of Toads, all ready for battle. Collectively, they were known as the Toad Brigade, the Mushroom Kingdoms army that served the Toadstool bloodline. The Toad Brigade consists of three major classes: The Red, Blue, and Yellow class. Each member of the Toad Brigade wears a cloak that matches their class colour, with the exception of Yellow class. Red class Toads are plentiful in number, and are the lowest ranking members. Blue class Toads are elite soldiers, and are much less common. There are only three members of the Yellow class, and they are known as the Toad Brigade Executives, or simply Executives. The highest ranking member of the Toad Brigade is known as the Toad Brigade Captain.

Standing before the gathered soldiers was the current Toad Brigade Captain, Captain Toad. Captain Toad was a red spotted Toad in a tan explorers outfit. He wore a dark brown backpack and hd a brown headlamp on his head. He looked more like an explorer than an army captain.

"DA DA DA DA!" Captain Toad cried, a whistle accenting his cheery smile. "ATTENTION ALL UNITS!"

Katan T., one of the three Toad Brigade executives, was a black spotted Toad of unknown age with a black mohawk. He had a purple scarf wrapped around his neck, which concealed his mouth. His clothes were largely black, including his cloak. He had a sword sheathed by his side, his arms folded. The only thing he possessed that indicated he was Yellow class was the cloth wrapped around the handle on his blade.

"My captain, please refrain from such loud noises at this hour." Katan T. warned. "You will anger the wind."

Lana T., one of the three Toad Brigade executives, was a youthful, deep purple spotted Toad with a purple ponytail and bangs. She wielded a large lance with a fancy purple ribbon, and wore two large golden hoop earrings. She wore purple clothes, her cloak a lighter shade of purple. She had a yellow tunic belt, indicating her class.

"Like, that's totally fine by me!" Lana T. declined, with a dismissive hand. "The wind is like, a total pain in the butt for ruining my hair all of the time."

"Keh heh heh... Such ignorance. For such a petty reason, you fail to appreciate the true beauty of the wind." Katan T. chuckled, his arms folded with a closed eyed grin. "Am I not right, Axel?"

Axel T. was a very large Toad with a grey spotted head, about three times the size of a normal Toad. He also had a big grey beard, and was dressed in a black short sleeve shirt with yellow overalls, indicating his class. His exposed arms were hairy. His weapon of choice was a giant double sided axe, which was always resting on his brawny shoulders. His voice was much higher than someone of his size might suggest.

"My eyes hurt." Axel T. sulked, his eyes closed and beard vastly concealing his expression. "I was staring at the sun all day, trying to figure out why it appears to be the same size as the moon..."

"Uh, guys?" Captain Toad summoned, his head slightly tilted.

"Ignorance? Like, how rude!" Lana T. accused, pointing at her equal with a finger, other hand on her hip. "The wind is like, totally annoying when you just want to have nice hair! It's all like: _whoooooooosh!_ I'm stupid!"

"Do _not_ mock the wind. The wind is sacred. It carries the souls of the departed, and guides those who have lost their way." Katan T. argued, growing somewhat angry. "Not that I would expect a mere mortal such as yourself to understand."

"Uhhhh, guys?" Captain Toad summoned, a little more aggressively this time.

The rest of the army featured a single sweat drop behind their heads as Lana T. took a step forward towards Katan T. in challenge. Once again, the two of them were butting heads.

"Mere mortal?" Lana T. growled with a hand, her teeth clenched. "Like, there you go again with that crap! What makes you so _im_ -mortal?"

"Ready your lance and I shall show you." Katan T. challenged, grasping the hilt of his blade with a hand.

"You're on!" Lana T. accepted, getting into a fighting stance.

 **"GUYS!"** Captain Toad cried, his whistle blowing the usual _da da da da_.

That gathered everyones attention. Katan T. and Lana T. took a moment to ease their stances, but eventually they had. They turned their backs to each other with folded arms, eyes closed.

"Stay on track! We've assembled here now because we are officially on the search for Princess Peach!" Captain Toad reminded, somewhat in a panic. "No one here has seen her for at least six hours, and she should have been back long ago!"

"Now I know you're all tired, but we need to get out there in the pitch black darkness and search aimlessly for her with no leads on where she might be!" Captain Toad ordered, not being sarcastic. "Look alive people!"

Right on que, the castles main doors had opened behind them. Exclamation marks appeared over the heads of the entire Toad Brigade. They turned and watched as Daisy, Toadsworth, Luigi, an unknown woman, and Princess Peach walked inside. She had an apologetic expression on her face.

"PRINCESS!" Captain Toad cried _(da da da da)_ , with an expression of surprise. "Oh thank goodness! Now we can go back to bed!"

"Er, I mean, we're so happy to see you're back safe and sound!" Captain Toad corrected, with a hop.

"I am so sorry to cause alarm, everyone." Princess Peach bowed, her hands together. "My sincerest apologies."

"Perhaps, it would be most wise for the Princess to possess some sort of communication device." Katan T. suggested, looking off to the right. "Am I not right, Axel?"

"My upper half was birthed by 11:59 PM, but I wasn't fully birthed until 12:01 AM the following day." Axel T. explained, his eyes holding back tears. "I've spent my entire life wondering when my birthday really is."

"You mean like, a cell phone?" Lana T. suggested, finger on her chin in thought as she looked semi skyward.

"I was thinking of something that uses magic, like a gossip stone..." Katan T. admitted, with a sigh. "But I suppose a cellular device is more suitable for mere mortals such as yourselves."

"Yes, a cell phone is a most wonderful idea." Peach agreed, her hands together in glee. "Tomorrow we should all go and get one at the mall!"

"Alright, that sounds like fun!" Daisy agreed.

"I'm in!" Luigi added, with a closed eyed grin and thumbs up.

"I say, count me out!" Toadsworth added, with a stern expression. "And if any of you so much as start to become tech zombies, I will take them away from you! Oh, and don't you let me catch you using one while driving! You'll get _quite_ the scolding indeed."

"Oh, Toadsworth." Peach giggled, dismissing him politely. "This is for my safety, remember?"

"Yes, well..." Toadsworrh stumbled, scratching his head. "Yes I suppose that is right."

"Then it's settled!" Captain Toad cheered, with a hop. "We'll be able to keep in touch with you now! You can request our help anytime, anywhere! Or just let us know how you're doing with a quick text message! That's modern technology for ya!"

Rosalina gave a yawn that was quite pronounced, guided by a single hand. Her eyes were teary. She rubbed them softly and only contributed a single word. "Sleepy."

"Like, who is she? I totally haven't seen her before!" Lana T. asked, leaning forward with a hand over her widened eyes, as if she was trying to get a better look.

"Care to introduce yourself?" Peach offered, turning to Rosalina.

"Oh, umm..." Rosalina softly spoke, scratching her head a bit while looking down shyly. "Introductions are kind of a pain..."

(Is everything a pain for you?) Peach thought, her expression baffled. She collected herself with a closed eyed toothless smile.

"Ohh, okay... Umm, everyone, this is Princess Rosalina. She'll be staying with us for the next little while." Peach introduced, feeling a bit awkward. "It is actually kind of a long story..."

"Rosalina, this is the Toad Brigade." Peach continued, with a hand. "They are my protectors and my friends. We are like family."

"W-Which is it then?" Rosalina whined, confused about which role they had.

"A friend of the Princess is a friend of ours!" Captain Toad cheered, with a hop. "Welcome aboard!"

"Hello." Rosalina softly greeted, not making eye contact.

"Hey, so like, how did you get your hair that blonde?" Lana T. awed, her eyes widened. "What colour is that, I've never seen anything like it! It's totally awesome!"

Rosalina had a bit of a smug look, unable to resist the praise. She was a bit more lively now, a finger aimed at her hair. "Oh, this? I call it Cosmic blonde. Don't bother looking for it in stores. I was _boooorn_ with it." She added, mysteriously.

"Wow, I'm like, totally jealous!" Lana T. admitted. "Maybe I should dye my hair blonde..."

"Such trifling matters..." Katan T. dismissed, turning his back to everyone. "I shall take my leave. Swiftly!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna skedaddle." Luigi agreed, pointing fingers to the upstairs. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

Princess Peach looked at the time. It was nearly 2:00 AM.

"Goodness, it is so late." Peach noted, her eyes slightly widened. She noticed that Daisy was missing. "Say, where is Daisy?"

"Oh, she snuck off some time ago." Luigi informed, walking up the red carpet stairs with his hands on the wooden rail.

"I say, that's Daisy for you." Toadsworth thought aloud. "Ever so impatient. Nighty night, you two. I shall see you in the morning."

"All units! You're dismissed!" Captain Toad ordered, his whistle blowing the usual _da da da da._ "Brush your teeth, put on your pyjamas, tuck yourselves in, and we'll see you in the morning for training! Don't forget to floss, too!"

The Toad Brigade proceeded to make their way downstairs, to the B1 level. One group of Toads were complaining under their breath.

 _"He makes us sound like such babies when he says stuff like that."_

 _"I know, talk about embarrassing!"_

 _"Right?"_

Different members seemed in higher spirits as they made their way downstairs.

 _"I'm gonna wear my Yoshi pyjamas tonight!"_

 _"Aww, the ones with all the different colour Yoshis? Jealous!"_

 _"I'll get you a pair for Christmas!"_

 _"Really? You're the best!"_

Eventually, it was just Princess Peach and Princess Rosalina standing in the foyer of Peach Castle.

"Well, it is time to show you your new room." Peach thought aloud. "This castle is pretty big, so it would be best for you not to get lost. Although it's pretty easy to get around once you get used to it."

Princess Peach directed her attention to the main doors. They were still, undisturbed. Her expression was somber. (Mario... I hope you are alright...)

Peach Castle consists of five main floors: B2, B1, 1F, 2F, and 3F. Floor B2 is the parking lot area. Mario, Peach, Luigi, Daisy, and Toadsworth all have a unique vehicle kept there. There are plenty of parking spots open for additional vehicles. Using a card key, one can exit and enter the castle via an underground tunnel which connects to the Trans-Mushroom Highway, a long road that leads to multiple cities and towns located throughout the Mushroom Kingdom.

Floor B1 is very expansive and is reserved for the living quarters of the Toad Brigade. There is also an area for weapon storage and forgery, a large mess hall, and a gym for training. There is a courtyard behind Peach Castle that the Toad Brigade uses for training. The dirt path that surrounds Peach Castle slants down to the B1 level from behind, providing the members of the Toad Brigade quick access to the courtyard from inside.

The first floor, 1F, is the largest floor in the entire castle. It consists of the castle foyer, as well as various brown doors with yellow stars on their fronts leading to other rooms. The carpet is red with gold lining, and the floor is black and white checkered tile. Each room is massive and tells a separate story. The leftmost door leads to the dining hall, which has a long table smothered in white carpet resting on red carpet flooring. The ceiling is practically endless. Important people from all over the world have had the privilege to eat here and discuss important matters with Princess Peach. On the flip side, Peach and her friends enjoy the occasional casual meal together in here. The next room is the seven star kitchen. It is filled with all of the ingredients you can imagine, in their freshest forms at that. World class chefs are working here 24/7, and are happy to teach anyone who may stumble into here with a craving how to cook. In addition, they also provide a room service. The first door on the right leads to an indoor swimming pool, which is olympic sized and has three surrounding hot tubs. Up on the second level but within the main room is a door that leads to the castles library, which contains every archive of the Mushroom Kingdoms history. The rightmost room leads to the Royal Lounge, which is a place of relaxation for Peach and her friends. It is decorated with luxurious red furniture, and there is a theatre sized screen which is hooked up to every video game console to date. Shelves surrounding the big screen are lined with countless video games and movies. There is also a pool table and a bar, as well as dart boards and a jukebox. There are also arcade machines that feature classic NES and SNES titles, such as Donkey Kong and Street Fighter II.

After one has climbed up the central stairs and entered the double doors, they have made their way to the second floor, 2F, of Peach Castle. This room serves as the living quarters for Peach and her friends. Everyone has their own designated room, with their name etched in gold font on its front. On the left side was Peach, Daisy, and now Rosalina's room. On the right side was Mario, Luigi, and Toadsworths room. There were also four rooms still vacant, two on each side. Each room is not only fully decorated, but also has its own private bathroom and elevator leading to the B2 level. The elevators in each room on the 2F level lead to the vehicle parked in the B2 level that match its room owner.

Continue down the hall of the second floor and up the stairs and you will arrive at the third floor, 3F, which is the castle Throne Room. This room is so massive and tall that an entire floor is dedicated to it. A red carpet leads to a tall red throne of mahogany wood. The floors are black and white checkered tile just like the main foyer. The windows along the side are tall and arched, and the throne rests with its back to the glass mural of Peach which is seen on the castle front.

 **/**

Luigi was lying in his bed, looking up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. He was still clothed, and was on top of the blankets. The room was dark, and his expression was serious as he reflected on what had happened earlier.

 **{** "BWAH HA HA HA!" Bowser loudly laughed, a happy smile on his face. "You think you can stop me? Oh, now that's rich! Well come on! Bring it on, baby! Hit me with your best shot!"

"You asked for it!" Luigi smirked, charging at full speed, a fist charged back. "HYAAAAAAH!"

"HA!" Luigi cried, smashing his fist right into Bowser's stomach with all his might. Bowser didn't even flinch, he simply stood there with Luigi's fist against his stomach.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Luigi cried, backing off while whipping his hand in pain. **}**

 **{** "And just what are you gonna do, exactly?" Kammy Koopa challenged, remaining calm. "Peach is right, you know. You should just go and get help. Leave it to Mario to do all the work. You, obviously, are incapable."

Luigi grit his teeth with anger. Kammy Koopa's mocking had gotten the best of him, much to Peach's dismay. Luigi proceeded to charge at full speed towards Kammy Koopa, an impressive speed at that. "I said, GIVE ME BACK MY FRIENDS!"

Luigi then shot high into the air, getting ready to perform a wicked roundhouse to the hovering Magikoopa. It would have done an impressive amount of damage, but all Kammy Koopa had to do was simply lift herself a little higher. She near effortlessly dodged the attack, Luigi proceeding to fall back down. Kammy Koopa raised her magical wand, geometric shapes gathering around the ruby embedded on its tip.

"You're wide open!" She cried, launching her attack.

Luigi's eyes were concealed in the shadow of his cap, his expression full of despair as he fell back down, defenseless. He was struck with the magical attack, his form irradiated with light. **}**

(I'm too weak...) Luigi thought to himself, his eyes narrowing. He couldn't stop the tears of frustration that followed. He placed a gloved hand over his eyes. "Sniffle... dammit."

"I... I want to be more useful to everyone." Luigi thought aloud, clenching a fist with teary eyes. "I want to be able to protect them! But what can I do?"

 **/**

Daisy was lying in her bed, her bare shoulders peeking out from under the white blanket that covered her. She had an arm sprawled over her teary eyes, catching her breath as she had been crying quite hard.

"Another day... another day I shamefully rest my eyes in a comfortable bed while my people suffer..." Daisy sobbed, tears sliding down her face. "I should be suffering with them! I don't deserve this!"

Daisy grit her teeth, helpless against the tears that ran down her face. She slammed her fist into the soft bed. "Dammit! I will never, EVER, forgive you for what you've done, _Grodus_!"

 **/**

Somewhere on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom, brown booted feet made their way up to the top of a large blue hill with white patches and sleeping black eyes. Legs wearing white pants ran eagerly to reach the top of the steep hill, having just had climbed quite the distance. The man wore a blue tunic with intricate white designs, a white long sleeve undershirt, and brown fingerless gloves. The man had deep blue eyes and nice dirty blonde hair which bordered his face, the bangs messy and swept to the side. His medium length hair was also tied in the back and sides. On his back was simple sword, bow, and wooden shield.

The man had finally reached the top of the hill, a large portion of the Mushroom Kingdom in his view. His hair blew in the nighttime wind, endless stars glistening above him. His eyes were focused on the bright late night city in the distance, a large red roofed castle beyond it further. It was a beautiful view. He took a moment to appreciate it. Eventually he revealed a stone slate with a tablet screen, which featured an interesting insignia on its back. He stared at the screen, zooming in on the castle in the far distance. He watched the red and white flags atop the castle towers flapping in the late night breeze.

A blue ball of light appeared from the man with a glistening chime, white wings visible. Her name was Navi, and at closer glance one could see that she was a blue skinned fairy wearing a short white dress. She had long, flowing white hair, and big purple eyes.

"Ooh, Master Link! Look!" Navi sang, seeming excited. "The Sheikah Slate says we're in the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Link said nothing as he continued to look through the Sheikah Slate. He now was using its zoom feature to examine the big city in the distance.

"Look at those big structures!" Navi awed, peering at the screen from over his shoulder. "How advanced! I feel like we're looking into the future, *giggle*."

"It looks like there is so much to do here in the Mushroom Kingdom..." Link awed, scanning the area. He couldn't help but fantasize as he looked semi skyward with a dreamy, drooling blush. "I'll bet they have amazing sake..."

"Oh geez, is that all you ever think about?" Navi groaned, rolling her big eyes with folded arms. "I mean, look at how weird and colourful this world is! Aren't you excited to explore it?"

"Of course." Link nodded, stabilizing his view on a castle once again. The glass mural of Princess Peach was the focal point on his screen. The moat glimmered in the moonlight.

"Hey, check out that castle!" Navi awed, peeking over his shoulder to see it for the first time. She seemed impressed with the structure. "It's almost as big as Hyrule Castle!"

Link said nothing, keeping his focus on the castle. His eyes were slightly narrowed in thought.

"What is it, Master Link? Do you sense something?" Navi inquired, with an expression of interest.

"I just might..." Link thought aloud. He placed his Sheikah Slate on a holder that was attached to his tunic belt. "We shall head there at daybreak."

"Alright, camping time!" Navi cheered, her fists raised in glee. "I'm ready for a baked apple!"

Link was sitting criss cross before a burning fire pit high atop one of the colourful hills that, for the average person, were usually only ever seen on the distant horizon. The stars were shining brightly above, endless in quantity. It was late into the night. Navi was snoring soundly with her hands under her head, her tummy a little fat from the baked apple she had just devoured. Its discarded core was on its side near the fire.

Link was staring at the fire with a fancy cup of sake resting before him. He was absent minded, the light of the fire flickering on his face, his shadow stretched behind him. Something about that castle in the distance, something about what he had sensed from way out here on the hills, gave him the feeling that an amazing adventure was about to unfold.


	8. Chapter 8: The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 8:** The Beginning of the End

Rosalina had tossed over in her bed for the umpteenth time, her eyes a lazy angry. She sat up with frustration, looking at the clock. It was nearly 3 AM.

"I can't sleep..." She whined, putting her hands on her cheeks and distorting her own face in annoyance. "But I felt so tired before..."

Her feet met the carpet at the bedside, and she rose to a stand. She was wearing her usual blue dress, her hair a bit messy. "I probably have insomnia. What a pain."

She migrated through the darkness, and found that there were some plain slippers in the closet located near her bedroom door. The closet was virtually empty, as she only had a pair of silver heels in there. Her wardrobe was empty, too. She desperately needed clothes, but she didn't seem too concerned about it. She slipped her feet into the complimentary slippers that looked to be more suitable for Toadsworth than for herself.

"I might as well explore the castle, since I can't sleep." Rosalina thought aloud, opening her bedroom door and stepping into the main corridor of the second floor.

Rosalina was alone in the dark hallway of the castles living quarters. She examined the names on the brown doors, knowing her friends were sleeping soundly beyond them. She walked past Mario's room. Unbeknownst to them, he was sleeping at Pauline's apartment tonight. She made her way to the first floor by opening the double brown doors which led to them.

Now, Rosalina was met with some choices. There were doors all around this room, and she had only a faint idea of what might lie beyond them. Peach had already explained the castle layout to her, but exposure was always a better teacher for her than explanations were. She decided to start with the door nearest to her, which was located up the stairs on the higher level with her. She turned left and made her way into the room.

It was a library -a massive one, at that. She only remembered now that Peach had indeed told her there was a library here. There were aisles of tall shelves filled with books, and a second floor which served as a wooden wrap-around balcony. The second floor also had bookshelves along the wall. The places had tens of aisles, with hundreds of bookshelves, and thousands of books. The place was quite clean with burgundy carpet, and a mobile steel ladder with a platform was parked in the distance. No one appeared to be here.

"So many books..." Rosalina calmly gawked, her expression lazy. "Where does one begin?"

The focal point of the room was a round wooden table which just so happened to have a booked haphazardly sprawled on its surface. Curious, Rosalina approached it. She gasped as she noticed it was not written in English, but instead in strange characters and symbols. Her eyes widened as she discovered that she actually knew how to read this.

"I-I can read this?" Rosalina gawked, her mouth remaining open in surprise. It was such a peculiar feeling, realizing that you are able to read something that at first sight appeared to be gibberish. Her heart was racing. She hesitated, but eventually proceeded to read the book:

 _Regarding the Legend:_

 _"One thousand years after she is born, the Princess of the Galaxies will crash into their world, releasing the energy of the Goddess upon impact._ _This energy will awaken the demon that sleeps below. Their world will soon after be thrust into chaos._

 _It is then only a matter of time before their world is annihilated by shadow, destroyed in a great cataclysm. The day the cosmic Princess awakens, marks the beginning of a swift and cruel end for their world."_

"H-Huh?" Rosalina gasped, her expression full of fear and worry. A chill ran down her spine. "A swift and cruel end? Annihilated by shadow?"

Rosalina took a moment to think, looking downward with her fist on her chin in thought. Her eyebrows were narrowed nervously as her mind raced. (This is so weird... Was I told this before? I don't remember.)

She paused for few minutes, thinking very slowly and carefully.

(And this language... I don't recognize it, but I can somehow read it...) Rosalina added, looking off to the right with a nervous sweat. Thoughts raced through her mind. (This book was left here, so someone must have been reading it recently... but who?)

Rosalina took a moment to gather herself, as her head started pounding. After a few minutes, she eventually returned to her usual calm state. She was still a bit on edge, but she had decided that it would be best to wait and discuss this with the others some other time, rather than simply dwelling on it on her own. She then left the library, and found herself greeted by a familiar face.

"GWAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAAH!" Lana T. cried, backing off a step and cowering behind her arms in terror. Lana T. was approaching the library door, and was very startled by someone opening it. "K-Koopa scum! Like, p-prepare for your death!"

"Hmm?" Rosalina softly barked, not startled at all.

"I-It's you!" Lana T. gasped, pointing a finger. She folded her arms with an angry blush. "Geez, you like, totally scared me! What are you doing up so late?"

"I can't sleep." Rosalina answered, slow to continue speaking. "So, I've just been wandering around... What are you doing up so late?"

"I'm on night shift. I was, like, patrolling outside, and I like, totally needed to use the bathroom, although I nearly did just now thanks to you!" Lana T. explained, with an angry pout. She spoke a mile a minute. "The pool area is closed, and I don't want to go downstairs, so the one in the library is like, my only option."

"Night shift?" Rosalina inquired, looking downward with a hint of sadness. "That sounds like a pain."

"It totally is." Lana T. groaned, rolling her eyes. "Usually Katan T. does it, but I like, totally need the hours. I've got credit cards to pay back."

(Was that plural? I don't envy her...) Rosalina thought, with slightly widened eyes. There was a short awkward silence before Lana T. spoke again.

"Well, I like, totally don't know where you've been, but there's a kitchen down there if you're hungry or whatever." Lana T. explained, pointing to the kitchen door down below. "Oh, and you guys are totally allowed to chill in the Royal Lounge, too. There's lots of video games and snacks and stuff. Seriously jelly!"

"Royal Lounge? Video games?" Rosalina slowly replied, looking semi skyward with a finger on her chin in dopey thought.

"Yeah!" Lana T. sang, making her way around Rosalina with a closed eyed grin. "You'll see, it's lots of fun but I have to go now, bye!"

Lana T. had entered the Library and left Rosalina all on her lonesome. From above, Rosalina examined the door that led to the Royal Lounge. She decided to go and check it out, making her way by heading down the red carpeted stairs and making a left. She entered the room without a word, and apparently would not be coming back out for many hours.

 **/**

Early the next morning, Pauline had driven Mario right to the end of Castle Road, parking just before Peach Castle. She was wearing her usual scarlet dress as well a new matching sunhat, since Bowser had destroyed her old one.

"Sorry I have to drop you off right early like this." Pauline sighed, with a shrug. "I need to make preparations for some silly carnival that's gonna be happening in Mushroom City tomorrow."

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Mario encouraged, with a hand.

"Ha! Hardly!" Pauline laughed, with a dismissive hand. "And then there's all that damage from Bowser that needs to be taken care of... Oh, and were going to need to invest in a new stage, since the old one has been destroyed... What a waste of tax-payers dollars!"

"Well, I better let you go!" Mario concluded, exiting the door. "Thanks for the ride!"

Mario closed the door, and Pauline waved him goodbye as he walked around the front of her vehicle with a wave, a golden hoop accessory whirling around her wrist. Then, she was off to work. With a skip and a hop, Mario made his way into the castle via the double brown doors.

Mario was happy to see two familiar faces gathered around the sun emblem in the castles main foyer. It was Princess Peach and Luigi, his brother dressed in his usual attire. Peach however, was wearing something different. She was dressed in a dark pink dress that stopped below her knees, silver heels on her feet. She wore a pink ascot and a white sunhat with a pink band. She had a white polo tuckered into her dress, with a fashionable pink belt. She looked very modern, and ready for a trip into town. They had been conversing, both of them turning to Mario with happy smiles. Exclamation marks appeared over their heads.

"Mario!" Peach exclaimed, her head tilted slightly and hands together in glee. "You're back!"

"Big bro!" Luigi exclaimed, fists clenched in excitement.

"I am so relieved to see that you are alright!" Peach sighed, a mixed expression of anguish and relief cast upon her face.

"Sorry to have worried you." Mario grinned, rubbing the back of his head.

"I just knew you'd beat Bowser, Mario!" Luigi praised, putting a friendly hand on his brothers shoulder from the side. "Hopefully this will be the last time he causes us trouble."

"Oh yeah." Mario nodded, ever so optimistic.

"I have my doubts..." Peach declined, looking downward with folded arms, a hint of sadness on her face. "That Bowser is ever so persistent..."

"So, what are you guys doing, anyway?" Mario asked, a red question mark appearing over his head. He then featured a dreamy blush, slight drool present. "Going out to get some breakfast?"

"Actually, we're waiting for Daisy and Rosalina so that we can go to the mall!" Luigi cheered, giving a thumbs up with a grin.

"Rosalina?" Mario thought aloud, looking skyward with a hand on his chin in thought. "Who's that?"

"Oh, right!" Peach awed, her face lighting up in realization. "You have not yet met Princess Rosalina."

"She's the girl that fell from the sky and smashed into the big stage yesterday." Luigi reminded, lightly smashing his fist into his palm. "You know, the one from the legend?"

"Ohhh, okay. I remember now." Mario sang. He had completely forgotten about it until now. "So she's awake now?"

"Yep. And talk about underwhelming." Luigi whispered, leaning towards Mario with a hand by his mouth. "I was expecting someone gorgeous, powerful, and awesome. But she's just like, your average lazy teenager."

"What are we talking about?" Daisy groaned, looking downward with her hands in the holes of the burgundy coloured sweater she was wearing. It featured the cover art for Mario Sports: Superstars on the front. Her unique soccer logo was located on the back. She was wearing dark grey sweatpants with a 1-Up mushroom on the right thigh, orange and yellow runners on her feet. Her eyes had dark bags under them, her hair a little messy.

"Speaking of lazy..." Luigi sniped, with a playful grin.

"I'm too tired to hit you." Daisy sighed, lacking energy and enthusiasm.

"Daisy, you look simply exhausted!" Peach gasped, a hand softly near her open mouth. "Are you sure you still want to go to the mall?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Daisy dismissed, cracking open a tall energy drink from an artistic aluminium can.

"Daisy! Now how many times do I have to tell you to stop drinking those awful things!" Peach scolded, her eyebrows narrowed and her hands on her hips. "They are full of sugar and all sorts of awful chemicals! No wonder you have troubling sleeping!"

 _"*glug, glug, glug*"_ Daisy said nothing, taking a massive chug of the drink. She eventually stopped with a satisfied expression on her face. "Ahh~..."

"*sigh*..." Peach frowned, twirling her hair with an expression of sadness as she looked off to the right. "Only when it is too late, will you ever learn."

"Heh heh. You're so motherly, Peach." Luigi grinned, his hands behind his head.

"I am merely mature for my age." Peach insisted, with a royal hand before her. "You should listen to what I have to say!"

"*Sniff, sniff*..." Mario had closed eyes, his chin lifted as he sniffed around. Mario gave an expression of disgust, covering his nose with his hands. "Ooh-ho-ho, stinky."

"Whaddya mean, stinky?" Daisy growled, her teeth clenched. "I don't stink! Are you asking to get slapped?"

"Wow, those energy drinks sure do kick in fast!" Luigi noted, with a slight expression of surprise.

"Not you, Daisy." Mario declined, shaking his head. He pointed at the Royal Lounge. "It's coming from in there."

"The Royal Lounge?" Peach inquired, her head slightly tilted. "Is someone in there?"

"I think so..." Mario confirmed, taking one last sniff. "We should check inside."

With a mix of caution and confusion, Peach, Daisy, and Luigi followed Mario into the Royal Lounge. After they had entered, they noticed Rosalina was sitting on the red couch with a Super Nintendo controller in her hand, playing what appeared to be Super Mario World on the big screen. She didn't even notice people had entered the room, as she was completely immersed into the game.

"Rosalina?" Luigi mildly barked, scratching his head. "You're in here playing video games?"

"Oh, I can totally smell it now!" Daisy whined, pinching her nose with her bare fingers as she looked at Rosalina. "Damn, is that smell comin' from you?"

"Let's see... this level is red, so there must be an alternate exit somewhere..." Rosalina thought aloud, jumping through a level with a cloudy background. "But where is it..."

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Daisy whined, seeming quite upset by it.

"Princess Rosalina, how long have you been in here playing video games?" Peach inquired, her head tilted.

Rosalina did not answer, tapping the colourful buttons violently as she weaseled her way out of a dangerous situation.

"Yoo-hoo! Earth to Rosalina!" Luigi called, hand by his face.

"Huh?" Rosalina softly barked, finally noticing people were in the room. "Oh, hey."

"Hey yourself!" Daisy growled, mildly irritated by her behaviour. "Just how long have you been in here rotting away like this?"

"Oh, umm... pretty much all night." Rosalina answered, still playing her game. "I couldn't sleep, so I found my way here and started playing these video games."

"You have been playing games all night?" Peach gasped, a hand softly near her mouth in mild surprise. "That is such unhealthy, irresponsible behaviour!"

"But I've already beaten so many games..." Rosalina calmly protested. "Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3... and now I'm almost done Super Mario World."

"Gee, you're pretty good at games." Luigi noted, rubbing his chin in thought.

"They're just so much fun, I can't stop." Rosalina admitted with closed eyed glee, actually smiling quite big. It was a rare occurrence. "And you guys have so many, I want to beat them all!"

"W-Well, there is no need to beat them all so quickly." Peach advised.

"Uh oh..." Rosalina calmly started, her face almost a pale blue.

Question marks had appeared above everyones heads.

"What? What is it?" Peach inquired.

"I just remembered I've had to go to the bathroom for the last few hours, but I ignored it so I could keep gaming..." Rosalina explained, with a mildly anxious expression. "But now I _really_ have to go!"

"You neglected using the bathroom just so you wouldn't have to stop gaming?" Daisy roared, fists on her hips. "Are you crazy or something!"

"I REALLY have to go!" Rosalina cried, her fists clenched. Racing black lines emit from her body to animate her panic.

Everyone gave their unique cries of panic as they assembled behind the standing Rosalina and proceeded to shove her towards the bathroom located in the Royal Lounge. After some encouragement, Daisy had convinced her to also take a shower.

Several minutes later...

"That's better." Rosalina sighed, weakly pointing a finger of relief skyward, her other hand on her hip.

"Geez, next time put the controller down and take a minute to use the washroom, will ya?" Daisy lectured, with the usual sass.

"I'm sorry." Rosalina softly apologized, looking downward with a hint of sadness.

"Heh heh, it's not all bad." Luigi laughed, hands behind his head. "We all love games, especially me and Mario. We'll all play some multiplayer games together sometime."

"Really?" Rosalina awed, leaning forward with excited clenched fists, her eyes replaced by stars. "There are so many multiplayer games that I need to play!"

"Yeah, sure. No problem." Luigi agreed, with a thumbs up.

"Aww, yay!" Rosalina chimed, with glee. "You've just become my fifth favourite!"

"O-Only fifth?" Luigi gawked with a comedic sweat, his right foot backed off a step and hands up in protest.

"Oh, right! Mario and Rosalina have not yet met." Peach recalled, with a hand. Mario and Rosalina faced each other.

"Yes we have." Rosalina declined, pointing a finger of objection. "I recognize him."

"Ehh, I don't think the games count." Luigi weakly laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm not talking about the games!" Rosalina objected, surprisingly irritated for someone so calm and lazy. "I know I've seen him before!"

"Hm?" Mario barked, rubbing his chin in thought while looking semi skyward. "But I don't remember seeing you..."

"Well, it was many years ago." Rosalina clarified, with an informative finger. "I wouldn't expect you to remember."

"Many years?" Mario thought aloud, continuing to rub his chin. "Did we run into each other somewhere sometime?"

"How on earth is that even possible?" Daisy refuted, pointing a finger of reason. "She's been soaring through space, unconscious, for the last 1,000 years, remember? Meeting Mario before now would be impossible!"

"Oh yeah, true." Mario sang, looking downward while scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Then, Rosalina collapsed. The room silenced.

"P-Princess!" Peach gasped, her hands on her face in shock, eyes widened.

"W-Whoa!" Daisy gasped, her eyes widened also. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

Mario and Luigi were already helping her to a stand. Everyone gasped as they saw something was glowing on the back of her right hand. As it emit golden light, it gave off heavenly tones in the otherwise silent room.

"What is _that_!" Peach awed while leaning slightly forward, pointing a finger in fascination.

Upon closer inspection, it was three golden triangles, positioned in such a way that they created an inverted triangle in the center. It appeared that the _bottom left triangle_ was glowing the brightest. Rosalina emit a soft groan as her eyes opened again.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mario asked.

"What the heck is going on with your hand?" Daisy persisted, pointing a finger.

"Ungh..." Rosalina groaned, bringing a hand to her head. She could stand now. "My head..."

"Take it easy, take it easy." Luigi eased, anxious that she may over exert herself.

"Are you alright?" Peach inquired, with a soft expression.

"Dont... ask me how, but..." Rosalina started, pausing to grit her teeth from the pain. "I can sense a powerful presence approaching."

That caused everyone to gasp, exclamation marks appearing above their heads.

"W-Whoa whoa wait, what?" Luigi fret, waving his hands and shaking his head. "What are you talking about? We don't need this right now! We were gonna go to the mall!"

"Ta' hell with the mall!" Daisy cursed, lashing out on Luigi. "This could be an emergency!"

"It's okay. I'll protect everyone." Mario assured, with a noble fist over his heart. He felt even more confident now that he had his new Goddess Power. "No matter what."

(Could this be... what I read earlier?) Rosalina thought as she held her head, a nervous sweat present in her forehead. (If so, we don't stand a chance...)

"I shall ready the troops." Peach informed, with a nod. "Mario."

Mario nodded, his attention on Peach. She directed her attention to Luigi, summoning him also. "Luigi. I am counting on you both."

Luigi nodded as well, his expression serious. He had been formally counted on. He followed Mario as the two of them ran out of the Royal Lounge, making their way to the castles main entrance.

Princess Peach had somber blue eyes, which weakly glistened in thought. What exactly was going on? What was Rosalina sensing? How was she sensing? Whatever battle lies before them, they must be prepared to fight with everything they have got.


	9. Chapter 9: The Pact

**Chapter 9:** The Pact

It was a beautiful day outside of Peach Castle. Gathered on the stone bridge before the castles main doors was Rosalina, Peach, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Toadsworth. Princess Peach was slightly ahead of the group, the six of them watching as an unknown man with dirty blonde hair wearing a blue and white tunic walked up the dirt path before them, clearly approaching them. The Toad Brigade was gathered near the stone bridge, but not in front of it. Multiple red class soldiers and a few blue class soldiers stood with weapons ready on either side of the bridge front. The executives Axel T. and Lana T. were in the front of the Brigade, their weapons not drawn. Katan T. had his face partially covered in his scarf as usual, leaning on the stone rail of the bridge with his eyes closed and arms folded. His sword was sheathed at his side.

"That's the one." Rosalina informed, bottom left triangle of the Triforce still glowing brightly on her left hand. She stood cautiously behind Mario and Luigi. "That's who I am sensing."

Mario and Luigi featured cautious expressions, watching intently as the apparently powerful individual marched towards them alone. He eventually set a brown booted foot on the stone bridge. Katan T. revealed his blade and held it to the foreigners neck. Link had stopped in place, his eyes concealed in shadow. His expression was calm.

"If you value your life, you will step no further." Katan T. warned, his arm extended as he held the blade in position.

Link said nothing as he stood in place, digging into his pockets for something. He did not seem to mind at all that there was a blade to his throat. He revealed a corked bottle of white fluid and a fancy sake cup. The bottle had a purple label with white font, and the sake cup was green with Hylian symbolism etched on its sides in gold. He uncorked the bottle and proceeded to pour some sake into the sake cup, standing just a few feet before the gang.

"This here is an old favourite of mine I had come across during my travels many moons ago." Link explained, concluding the pour and extending his arm, offering the drink to Peach. "It's called Chateau Romani. Please! Have some."

"Oh, umm..." Peach started, taking a moment to process his behaviour. "I actually do not drink..."

"I see." Link acknowledged, lifting the cup. "Please consider this a peace offering, umm..."

"Peach." Peach informed, realizing he was fishing for a name.

"Princess, Peach." Toadsworth corrected, being stringent.

"Princess Peach! Cheers!" Link exclaimed.

With that, Link proceeded to drink the cup of sake. He concluded his drink with the swipe of an arm. "Ahh! This drink brings back many memories... What a joyous day this is!"

Nobody said anything, awkwardly exchanging glances between each other before looking back at the man, confused and unsure about the situation. The soldiers were at the ready, cautious.

"Hahaha!" Link happily laughed. His big smile was the contagious type. "Your expressions are priceless! Come on, lighten up a little!"

"You are considered a threat." Katan T. warned, his eyes as sharp as his blade.

"Yes, I understand. You are very diligent, and for that I admire you. But please, I mean you no harm. You may lower your blade." Link assured, looking at Katan T. He then looked up at the roof of the castle. "And you. You will not be needing that cannon that you have prepared."

"Gwah!" Captain Toad cried, peeking from behind the central tower on the roof of Peach Castle. There indeed was a loaded cannon stationed behind it. "He knew I was here! But how?"

"Princess..." Katan T. summoned, seeking permission.

"It is alright." Peach decided, a hand near her sapphire brooch as she stood at center. "Lower your weapon."

"I-I say, Princess!" Toadsworth gasped, stumbling with his words. "Are you certain about this?"

"Yeah Peach, are you sure thats a good idea?" Daisy added, scratching her head.

Luigi was in cautious fighting stance, but Mario was eased up the moment he saw that Peach had decided to trust him.

"I have decided to trust him." Peach declared, her hands together and arms in a V formation. "Please, lower your weapon."

Katan T. lowered his blade slowly. He sheathed the weapon, closing his eyes and folding his arms to conclude the withdraw.

"Ungh…" Rosalina groaned, her head pounding slightly from the powerful presence before her. She placed a hand on her head, her eyes closed and teeth weakly clenched.

"I see you possess similar powers." Link noted, nodding at Rosalina. "Although it would appear that you have not yet mastered them."

"What?" Rosalina acknowledged, unsure of what exactly he meant by that. "Powers?"

"That's right." Link nodded, with a closed eyed smirk. He had poured himself another cup of sake.

"Umm, excuse me… but…" Peach politely intruded, a little shy. "Just who are you?"

Link had his head tilted back, drinking from his fancy sake cup. He concluded his drink with the swipe of an arm. "Ahh..."

"Yes, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Link. I am from the Kingdom of Hyrule." Link introduced, a glowing blue bulb of light with white wings flying out of his pocket with a gentle chime. "And this here is my partner, Navi the Fairy."

"Whoa!" Luigi gasped, stepping back in startled surprise with his hands up.

"Haha!" Mario cheered, with a happy smile.

She appeared to be just a blue orb with white wings, but up close Navi was a tiny girl with long wavy white hair and white wings. She had light blue skin and a white dress that stopped just above the knees. Her eyes were a deep purple.

"Hello." She greeted with a wave, her hands together behind her back afterward.

"She can be a bit of a party pooper, but she keeps me on track." Link grinned, hands on his hips.

"You'll have to excuse my master." Navi greeted, fluttering in place by Link's head. "He's a bit of a free spirit."

In the background, Captain Toad was trying to maneuver carefully on the building. He was using his hands and feet to slowly sidestep along the slanted roof so that he could reach a grapple he had prepared.

"A fairy?" Peach inquired, seeming very surprised. "From what I have read, I thought Hylian fairies had gone extinct many years ago."

"Yes, well, that's the common belief. But I suppose that's a story for another time. Hahaha!" Link laughed, with good cheer. "At any rate, we're sorry to have caused alarm."

Captain Toad had lost his grip and fallen, no one paying attention. _"WhOoOoOoOoOoOoa-!"_

"I say, caused alarm is right! _***SPLASH!***_ Here we all are, troops at the ready and thinking something dangerous was approaching!" Toadsworth huffed, adjusting his vest. "Something terrible indeed!"

"Once again, I apologize, er..." Link once again stumbled for a name. Peach realized that Link and Navi did not know everyones names, and so took a moment to introduce everyone.

"Excellent! We are pleased to make your acquaintances!" Link smiled, in good cheer.

"You said you're from Hyrule, right?" Daisy questioned, casually rubbing her head in thought, her attention directed semi skyward.

"From what I understand, that place is absolutely massive." Peach awed, a bare hand near her slightly opened mouth, sunhat granting her face shade.

"It's absolutely massive and then some!" Navi added, her arms spread wide. Link was pouring himself another cup of sake.

"Hey, I feel better now!" Rosalina cheered, fists against her hips in closed eyed pride. Her face was beaming, happy bold yellow lines around her to animate her glee.

"Excellent." Link noted, raising the sake cup and taking the drink. He concluded with the swipe of an arm. "Ahh. It would appear that you no longer perceive me as a threat."

"Hey, umm, sorry to like, totally intrude but... can we like, be dismissed now?" Lana T. whined, her eyes heavy. "I was on the nightshift last night so I'm like, totally exhausted."

"Keh heh heh." Katan T. laughed, his arms folded. "You are dismissed. Your efforts would not have been necessary anyway."

"Excuse me? I like, don't think it's up to _YOU_ to dismiss _ME_." Lana T. attacked, getting defensive. "And what do you mean my efforts aren't necessary! They're totally necessary!"

"Here they go again..." Luigi groaned, hand on his forehead. Mario expressed similar disapproval.

"We are both executives, and are therefore officially bounded under the same rank..." Katan T. started, with a closed eyed grin and folded arms. He opened his eyes and heroically pointed at Lana T., a flash of lightning in the background. "But you know very well that _I_ am the superior one! Am I right, Axel?"

"Get this. The brain? Named _itself_." Axel T. thought, his eyes widened as he apparently blew his own mind.

"Like, you are totally not superior." Lana T. dismissed, running a hand through her hair. "I've got fighting skills, and good looks. You have neither."

Katan T. placed his hand on the hilt of his blade, dropping to a squat. Lana T. was also prepared to fight him. Captain Toad emerged from the cliffside, having climbed up it from the moat below. He plopped onto the dirt path near the stone bridge, soaking wet.

"Gwagh! _*Huff, puff*_... Made it!" Captain Toad heaved, rolling over onto his back with spread arms.

"I have superior fighting skills, and overwhelming originality!" Katan T. protested. "Meanwhile, you lack character and charisma, like a windless night."

"You're edgy!" Lana T. scolded, stepping closer.

"To use the modern vernacular, you're _"basic"_!" Katan T. scolded, toe to toe with her now.

The two of them proceeded to attack each other, lance and sword clashing repeatedly at a very quick rate. Almost everyone rolled their eyes, letting them be. Link however, was much more amused.

"Hahaha!" Link laughed, his boisterous laugh full of energy and positivity. "What a fine group of soldiers you have!"

"That's the Toad Brigade." Peach introduced, with a hand. "They are my protectors and my friends. We are like family."

"Wait, so which is it exactly?" Navi shrugged, her expression puzzled.

"Anyway, the reason why I asked about Hyrule is because we've always had trouble with that Kingdom when it came to... How should I put this?" Daisy paused, looking for the correct words. She had found it and spoke with confidence. _"Communications."_

"My apologies, but who exactly are you, Daisy?" Link questioned, unsure of her identity. She was dressed rather sporty, and had no crown, so Link was surprised by her sudden mention of politics.

Daisy hesitated, breaking eye contact with Link. "I am the Princess of Sarasaland. Well, at least I _was_."

"Wait, _was_?" Navi questioned, flying forward with a chime. Lana T. and Katan T. were still fighting in the background, Captain Toad trying to break it up but to no avail. "What happened?"

"Exiled." Daisy answered, her expression somber. She did her best to stay strong. "My kingdom has been overtaken by a... despicable, reprehensible, villain by the name of Grodus."

"Grodus is evil." Mario added, with a clenched fist. "But don't worry. Soon enough, I'm gonna beat him up and win back Sarasaland for you. That's a promise."

"Huh?" Rosalina softly barked, finger on her chin in dopey eyed thought. Her speech was lacking pace. "This is the first time I've heard about this..."

"Well, it's not exactly any of your business, now is it?" Daisy silenced with an angry grin, a hand on her hip.

Rosalina's eyebrows narrowed, her cheeks puffed up and a little pink. Her arms were folded as she stood there with a silent pout. She did not enjoy being scolded.

"Daisy..." Peach eased. Daisy didn't break, looking off to the right angrily. Peach sighed.

"Sarasaland is our neighbouring desert kingdom that lies to the east." Peach informed. "The Mushroom Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sarasaland have a long history. We have been strong allies for many years. Then, Grodus took over."

"I see." Link acknowledged, his expression serious. "Your country has been overruled by this Grodus, and you have been forced to take refuge in this sister kingdom."

"I don't have a choice." Daisy sobbed, looking downward with teary eyes. "I know I should be there, fighting and suffering with my people. I feel terrible that I am safe while they suffer under his rule."

"You can't beat yourself up forever over that, Daisy." Luigi sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"We already told you, we won't let that maniac capture you." Mario reminded, with a fist of hope. "Just sit tight until we can finally take him down!"

"I know, I just..." Daisy started, doing her best to keep her composure. She had managed to. "I just feel so guilty."

"The people do not wish for you to be in pointless harm. I am sure they believe that you will come back and save them." Peach reminded, her voice of reason soft and comforting. "And what a joyous day that will be!"

"Damn right!" Mario agreed, fists clenched as he held an energized stance. "Can't wait to knock that dome headed bastard off of your throne!"

"Yeah." Daisy gave a toothless smile, her hands together and eyes closed. "Me too."

"I had no idea this was happening." Link thought to himself, rubbing his chin. He gave a smirk, pouring himself a cup of sake as well as another in an ordinary brown cup. "If that's the case, let me help too."

Exclamation marks appeared over everyones heads, all of them turning to Link in surprise.

"Really? You would really help me?" Daisy gawked, her blue eyes widened in surprise.

"You'd really help us?" Mario gawked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Hahaha!" Link laughed, holding two cups of sake. "Of course! I love a great adventure!"

"We live for this type of thing." Navi added, with a confident smirk.

"If you're really as powerful as Rosalina sensed, you'd be a great addition to our team!" Luigi added, with excitement.

"We would be happy to have the both of you." Peach smiled, her head slightly tilted.

"Then it's settled!" Link smiled. "Now! Someone please accept this cup of sake."

"I will." Daisy agreed, stepping forward and accepting the brown cup.

"Wrap your arm around mine like this..." Link guided, him and Daisy locking elbows while holding their cups. They stood in that stance on the stone bridge, everyone watching.

"A historical moment! This marks the beginning of our friendship!" Link announced, with a smile. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone replied, some raising a clenched fist. Daisy and Link went for a drink with locked arms, Daisy not hesitating to drink it. She quickly gave an expression of disgust, seeming to have regret swallowing the alcoholic beverage.

"Oh, gross! BLEH! Man, that's strong!" Daisy complained, fanning herself with her hands. "I mean, I'm sorry to be rude, but that's so gross, how do you drink that all the time?"

"I happen to like it." Link calmly replied, putting the cups away.

"Ugh, nuh-uh. Never again." Daisy whined, her body shivering once from head to toe.

"At any rate, it looks like you're one of us now." Luigi grinned, hands behind his back.

"Don't forget about me!" Navi huffed, her fists clenched and cheeks puffy.

"And you too, of course." Luigi laughed.

"Does this mean I don't have a room anymore?" Rosalina innocently questioned, looking downward with a hint of sadness.

"Of course not." Peach assured with comforting hands. "We can provide lodging for all of you."

"L-Lodging?" Link gasped, his hands up in protest. "No, that's not necessary."

 _ **SMACK!**_

Navi had smashed Link in the head with a clenched fist, a bump having formed on his head. He was lying down with comedic tears raining down his face.

"Are you kidding me? I haven't slept in a bed for ages! I'm not letting us miss out on this!" Navi scolded, her teeth sharp. She flew towards Peach so that she was a mere inch before her face. Peach was leaning back slightly with her eyes widened mildly.

"We humbly and gratefully accept your offer, Princess Peach." Navi politely accepted, her hands behind her back and face innocent.

"G-Glad to hear it." Peach replied with a toothless smile, eyes closed and a single comedic sweat behind her head.

"I say, this has really all gotten quite out of hand..." Toadsworth quietly thought aloud, hand on his head in worry.

"Did you have something to say, Toadsworth?" Peach sniped, her hands together and arms in a V formation as she looked down at her steward.

"O-Oh? N-No, nothing." Toadsworth declined, looking the other way. "Nothing at all."

"Man, this rocks! Let's go to Sarasaland straight away and beat up Grodus!" Mario encouraged, beaming with energy.

"Wait, I thought we were going to the mall..." Rosalina protested, looking semi skyward in confused thought.

"Would you two sit tight for just a minute? I still have something to ask!" Daisy scolded, giving the usual sass with a hand on her hip.

"What is it, Daisy?" Peach inquired, granting her room to speak.

"It's about Hyrule. Remember what I said about communications?" Daisy reminded, her expression serious as she looked at Link, who was back on his feet. "Neither Peach nor I have ever been able to communicate with Princess Zelda."

"Princess Zelda?" Mario inquired, rubbing his chin in thought.

"She's the Princess of Hyrule." Peach answered, with an informative finger.

"Wow, there are a lot of princesses..." Rosalina thought aloud, looking off into the distance. She faced forward with an innocent smile, fists clenched in excitement. "I bet together we would make a pretty cool video game!"

"You sure like video games..." Luigi laughed, rubbing the back of his head with closed eyes.

"Unable to communicate with Princess Zelda, yes, that sounds about right." Link nodded, eyes closed and arms folded in thought.

"Why?" Daisy asked with a raised hand, other hand on her hip.

"She has been using all of her strength to maintain power on a barrier." Link explained. "A barrier that has been keeping a certain evil sealed for the last one hundred years."

"Wait, what?" Daisy gawked, her expression puzzled.

"This is my first time hearing about this as well." Peach awed, equally puzzled.

"A malevolent force threatens the Kingdom of Hyrule, and likely the whole world." Link explained, his expression serious. "That force... is called _Ganon_."

"Ganon?" Mario inquired, head tilted in interest.

"Princess Zelda has been doing everything she can to keep the seal on him strong. But he is growing more and more powerful by the day." Link explained. "With the time Princess Zelda is buying, I need to find a way to stop him for when the seal finally breaks. Otherwise, we're all doomed."

"Holy crap! That's terrifying!" Luigi awed, his eyes open in fear.

"That's really serious!" Mario added, stepping forward with an equally serious expression on his face.

"Really though! No offence, but what the hell are you doing here helping us? You have your own kingdom to save!" Daisy scolded, growing heated.

"That's precisely why I am here, as a matter of fact." Link countered, remaining calm. "Like Rosalina, I can also sense a powerful presence. I sensed it here, at this very castle. So I came here, figuring that I might stumble upon someone who might help my cause. However, now it looks as though I am a little bit early..."

"What do you mean, _early_?" Mario asked, head tilted while tapping a brown booted foot.

"I sense an enormous potential within each of you. While you are strong, not one of you has yet manifested that potential in such a way that would stand a significant chance in a fight against Ganon." Link explained, concise in his speech.

"So basically, you're saying that we're not strong enough yet to fight this "Ganon"." Mario summarized, making sure he had it all straight.

"That's right. Not yet, maybe not ever." Link realized, looking downward with a somber expression. "But I will do my best to help each and every one of you manifest that potential which lies deep within you!"

"We all have this potential?" Peach questioned, a pink question mark above her tilted head.

"E-Even me?" Luigi awed, brimming with hope.

"That's right. You are quite a remarkable group of individuals." Link noted. He then faced Mario and Rosalina. " _Especially_ you two."

"Eh? Me?" Rosalina inquired, pointing to herself in surprise.

"Absolutely." Link assured, with a nod. "You're the Princess of the Galaxies, after all. The role you'll play in this story with be an important one. I'm sure of it."

Rosalina found herself to be speechless. Luigi eventually broke the silence.

"Man... We have all this fun and stuff, but there's all kinds of danger happening all around us, constantly. Both Sarasaland and Hyrule are in trouble, and the Mushroom Kingdom is bombarded by Bowsers and the Koopa Troops antics every other day." Luigi explained, his expression somber.

"We need to get our act together!" Peach ordered, with a noble hand.

"Oh yeah! And if anyone is gonna combat the evil of this world, it's going to be us!" Mario agreed, with a clenched fist. He was brimming with energy, as usual.

"I agree." Link nodded. "Fighting the problems of our Kingdom alone is a difficult task. But if we team up and tackle each problem together, I think we may stand a chance."

"I couldn't agree more!" Daisy added, pointing a finger of confidence.

"Then let us form a pact." Peach proposed, extending her gloved hand out, palm down. "Together, we will help each others kingdoms during their time of need."

"I'm in!" Mario agreed, placing his hand on top of Peachs.

"Count me in!" Luigi added, placing his hand on top of Mario's.

"Of course!" Daisy happily agreed, adding her hand.

"Mm." Rosalina nodded, quietly consenting as well.

"Hahaha! Count me in, too!" Link added, slapping his hand onto the pile.

"Don't forget about me!" Navi chimed, placing her tiny hand on top.

"Then it's settled!" Peach smiled. "We are officially allies!"

And with a big hurrah, the group of them raised their hands happily. They were already becoming fast friends. Toadsworth couldn't help but chime in.

"Perhaps, yes, but I will not accept the Princess putting herself in any danger!" Toadsworth intervened. "On this, I will not budge!"

"Oh, Toadsworth." Peach smiled, dismissing him with a hand. "You're always so worrisome."

"We need a group name!" Navi suggested, flying forward with glee.

"Hold that thought." Rosalina commanded, with a serious tone.

Exclamation marks appeared over everyones heads. They faced the galactic Princess, who was standing on the stone bridge near the middle of everyone.

"What is it, Rosalina?" Peach inquired, her head tilted in interest and hands together.

Memories of last night rushed back to Rosalina.

 **{** The focal point of the room was a round wooden table which just so happened to have a booked haphazardly sprawled on its surface. Curious, Rosalina approached it. She gasped as she noticed it was not written in English, but instead in strange characters and symbols. Her eyes widened as she discovered that she actually knew how to read this.

"I-I can read this?" Rosalina gawked, her mouth remaining open in surprise. She hesitated, but eventually proceeded to read the book:

 _Regarding the Legend:_

 _"One thousand years after she is born, the Princess of the Galaxies will crash into their world, releasing the energy of the Goddess upon impact._ _This energy will awaken the demon that sleeps below. Their world will soon after be thrust into chaos._

 _It is then only a matter of time before their world is annihilated by shadow, destroyed in a great cataclysm. The day the cosmic Princess awakens, marks the beginning of a swift and cruel end for their world."_ **}**

"There is something that I haven't told you guys yet." Rosalina confessed, her expression somber. "But now is a better time than any to mention it... I think."

"What is this you speak of?" Peach persisted, her interest piqued.

"Spill the beans, already!" Daisy encouraged, her interest highly piqued to a point of irritability.

"Well..."

Then, suddenly something very strange had happened, which caused Rosalina to stop short. Exclamation marks had appeared over the heads of everyone as pitch black darkness had formed beneath the feet of Link, Mario, and Rosalina. A blue swirling vortex then appeared within the darkness, and suddenly the three of them began to glimmer with mystic blue light. Everyone was watching the event unfold with dumbstruck awe.

"Oh!" Link barked, examining his hands, which were proceeding to disappear.

"Master Link!" Navi cried, unsure of what was happening.

"What's happening?" Rosalina cried, her voice containing panic. She saw that she was proceeding to disappear.

"Mario!" Peach cried, running towards the disappearing Mario with a hand stretched out. "Rosalina! Link!"

"Peach!" Mario cried, trying to reciprocate but unable to move off of the vortex below him.

Luigi, Daisy, and Toadsworth all ran towards Mario as well with their respective cries.

 _"Mario!"_

 _"Big bro!"_

 _"Master Mario!"_

Then, they had disappeared completely. They were nothing but balls of light, which were sucked into the vortex that was located beneath their now vanished feet. Each vortex absorbed the light of their respective targets, and after doing so, proceeded to vanish themselves by shrinking into a singular focal point before disappearing completely. Mario, Link, and Rosalina were now gone. No one had any idea what had happened to them, or where they went. Everyone was absolutely speechless.


	10. Chapter 10: The First Trial

**Chapter 10:** The First Trial

"Hyaaaaaaah!" Link cried, as he fell down into a dark abyss.

"Eyaaaaah!" Rosalina cried, as she fell down into a dark abyss.

"A-wa-wa-wa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" Mario cried, grasping at the air as he fell down with a surprised expression on his face.

A bright light flashed and held its intensity for a moment, and then faded. Link landed softly in a dark room with a lone grass mound that was oddly lit up, as if a spotlight was shining down on it. He landed right on the top of the short mound bare feet first. Rosalina had landed on the lower back side of the hill bare feet first. She was not wearing her usual clothes, but instead a tattered blue dress that stopped before her knees. Link had only blue shorts, his regular clothing gone. This was not the case moments before as they fell through the abyss. Finally Mario had arrived, landing on his rump near the small mounds top. Uncontrollably rolling forwards down the hill, he abruptly stopped at the foot flat on his face. He was only wearing shorts, exactly the same as Links but red. He still had his signature hat.

"Is everyone alright?" Link questioned, surveying the two of them.

"Yeah..." Rosalina softly answered, pointlessly surveying the dark. "It's really dark down here."

"Oof!" Mario barked, lifting his head from the ground and shaking it. He then brought himself to a stand and looked around with clenched fists. "Hm? Where are we?"

"I can't say..." Link had said, surveying the area as well. He looked down with closed eyes. "First that strange portal appeared below the three of us... and now we're here."

"Right." Mario recalled. "That sure was strange."

"What happened to my normal clothes?" Rosalina calmly complained, feeling the material of the tattered dress between her thumbs and index fingers. "I look... cheap in this."

"And we're barely dressed." Mario added, with a shrug.

"H-Hey, all of my stuff is gone!" Link gasped, noticing he was missing everything. He located the Sheikah Slate on his hip. "Well, except for my Sheikah Slate... Blast, even my sake is gone!"

"It's dark, cold, my butt hurts, and I can hardly see a thing..." Rosalina complained, while looking downward a hint of sadness on her face, her arms folded. "What a pain."

"Here, I can help with that." Mario assured, raising his fist. He ignited it with flame, which served as a torch. Some visibility had been provided. The silhouette of a few nearby trees and some shallow water could now be seen.

"Remarkable!" Link gasped, stepping back in shock. "How exactly can you do that? Are you some sort of a magician?"

"Hey, hey! You can do magic tricks?" Rosalina beckoned, leaning forward with widened eyes and clenched fists of excitement.

"After everything you've been through, you're interested in magic tricks?" Mario critiqued, rather skeptical. His fist remained a flame as he nodded to it. "Besides, you know very well why I can do this."

"Oh, that's right. The power of the Goddess Star..." Rosalina frowned, her face now filled with angry disappointment. "Aww, you actually had me excited for a second. But you're just a phoney..."

"I-I never said I was a magician!" Mario protested, standing back a step in alarm.

"Say, what exactly is a Goddess Star?" Link asked, rubbing his chin in curious thought.

"Oh... explaining that again would be a pain..." Rosalina sighed, defeated by the mere thought.

"Er, basically, Princess Rosalina was surrounded by "the Goddesses energy" as she soared through space for the last one thousand or so years for whatever reason." Mario proceeded to explain, with an informative hand.

"There's a reason!" Rosalina insisted, calmly pointing an assertive finger. She looked downward with a frown, mildly scratching her head. "I just... don't remember it."

"As she crashed down into our world, that energy left her in the form of Goddess Stars. If you touch one, you acquire its contained power." Mario concluded. "Is that right?"

"Close enough." Rosalina granted.

"Oh, is that so? As a matter of fact, I think I know just exactly what you are talking about..." Link informed, lightly pounding a fist on his bare palm in understanding.

"Oh really?" Mario inquired, not skeptical at all.

"I just so happened to have found one lying about during my journey to the castle." Link explained. Behind his head was a colourful child-like drawing of him marching up a blue hill with eyes towards a sparkling pink star. With his next sentence, Link swiped the star with an empty bottle and held it up high for Navi to see. "Although I don't have it on me at the moment, I did store it inside of a bottle. It should be with the rest of my belongings."

"Wait... so you didn't touch it?" Rosalina asked, finger on her chin in dopey-eyed thought.

"Nope. I could sense that it was extremely dangerous." Link answered.

"Dangerous? I don't think there's anything dangerous about a Goddess Star..." Rosalina calmly argued, looking off in the distance, her speech slow.

"Oh!" Mario barked. He paused to look down and off to the right, free hand on his chin in contemplative thought. (Would now be a good time to bring up Majora and the Jail of Souls? Hmm...)

 **"Hey! Are you guys just gonna talk and talk forever?"**

An exclamation mark of appropriate colour appeared over each of their heads. They proceeded to look around, trying to discern where the odd voice had come from. It was a youthful voice, and difficult to tell if it was male or female.

 **"I mean, I'm happy you guys are getting along and all, but I need you to get really good at _working_ together, you see."**

"Who are you?" Mario demanded, his figure rather heroic despite his lack of clothing. He searched around cautiously with his fiery fist.

 **"I am the ruler of everything..."** The voice spoke with a sarcastic, spooky tone. **"*snicker*..."**

"Did you bring us here?" Link demanded, his voice and posture more lax than his fiery friend.

 **"Yup, you bet! You three, are my _"chosen ones"_..."**

"Again with that sarcastic tone?" Mario sighed, with a shrug of protest.

"He sounds like he is mocking us..." Link warned, his eyes narrowed.

"He?" Rosalina calmly barked, a pale blue question mark wobbling above her head before fading away. "I thought for sure that it was a she..."

 **"Never mind what I am! I brought you three here so that you could prove to me that you've got what it takes!"**

"Got what it takes? To do what?" Mario questioned, his teeth clenched as he surveyed pointlessly in the darkness. Link and Rosalina were more relaxed, having accepted that they could not find the source of the voice.

 **"What it takes to help me save the world! A terrible, malevolent force is rising from the depths... If something isn't done, your world will be destroyed in a great cataclysm!"**

"What? Seriously?" Mario gawked in horror, believing it immediately.

"Don't be so quick to believe them..." Link calmly warned, his back facing Mario as he stared into nothing. "Unless of course, you speak of Ganon."

"No." Rosalina declined. Her tone was much more serious than usual. She had captivated Link and Mario. She was thinking about what she had read earlier, what she had meant to tell everyone before they had been transported here. "We should believe them... just... trust me for now."

Mario and Link were silent, facing each other. They didn't say anything, not seeming to be willing to argue or refute the proposition.

"Alright." Mario surrendered, agreeing immediately.

"If you say so." Link surrendered, scratching his head while looking down with uncertainty.

 **"That's the spirit! Now, I've gathered the three of you here so that you could attempt my... trials, of sorts. I need to see if you three have what it takes to help me save your world!"**

"There is a lot you have yet to explain..." Link calmly urged.

 **"I'll explain more once I meet up with you guys in your world. That is of course, if you can pass my trials."**

"So wait, let me get this straight..." Mario paused, trying to contemplate. "You took us from our world, and brought us to this strange place, so that you could test us to see if we are the right people to help you save _our_ world?"

 **"That's right. But not just to test. I also want you to train. You guys need to be really good at working together. I mean, _really_ tight teamwork. That's why I borrowed all of your stuff, so that you would need to rely on each other more, and not on your trinkets."**

"You certainly are a talkative one." Link playfully sniped, with a shrug of protest.

 **"Ha-ha."**

"Well, pass or not we're kind of already planning to do the whole "save the world from an incoming evil" thing, since right now we're trying to figure out how to deal with Grodus and err... what was his name?" Mario had seemed to have forgotten the name, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

"Ganon." Link reminded, with a nod.

"Right, Ganon." Mario nodded. "So, we're already working on saving the world, and we're already a team. Oh! Do you want to join us?, Mr. uhh..."

 **"W-Wait just a sec. Look. You see, I've been listening in on you guys, and there actually might be a way to use Grodus and Ganons defeat to help us fight against this _other evil_ I'm talking about. Again, I'll explain in more detail if you complete the trials. Right now I just need you to show me that my hunch was right!"**

"What a pain..." Rosalina frowned, looking downward with a hopeless expression. "All of this work over a hunch?"

"So even if we manage to defeat Ganon and Grodus on our own, you're saying that there's something worse on the way? That you, apparently, know how to deal with?" Link summarized.

 **"Yup! Far worse, in fact. And you can bet your bottom dollar I know a way to deal with it. So do you want to be tested or not?"**

"I mean, it's worth a shot." Mario accepted, before giving the others time to protest. "The more help we get, the better."

"But-"

Rosalina was cut off by the strange voice, who was apparently eager to get things started.

 **"Great! Let's begin the trials, then! Anyway, I'll be going now to observe how you do, so best of luck to you guys! I'm sure you can do it!"**

With that, the area illuminated. It was no longer pitch black, but it was still somewhat dark. Mario, Link, and Rosalina discovered that the area was a small grass forest in the confines of a square. The walls were steel and endless in height, eventually rising into total darkness above. On the far wall was a drawing of a wingless, snake like dragon that was eating its own tail. There was a shallow stream across the middle, which almost served as a boundary for arbitrary halves. The far top right section had a large stone mound. Mario, Link, and Rosalina were gathered in the bottom left.

"Should we have agreed so hastily?" Rosalina pondered, in dopey eyed thought.

"Well, it's too late now." Mario shrugged. "Besides, we'll pass, and then we'll get the truth out of him."

"There are trees here. We should find something to use to cut them down, and gather some firewood." Link immediately suggested, marching forward.

"I actually think I see an axe over there..." Mario noted, hand above his eyes as he leaned forward with a point. "Behind that big stone rock."

Link directed his attention to where Mario had guided him. There was certainly a large woodcutters axe leaning against the stone wall near the large stone. It glimmered like magic, unlike the other objects here.

"Ahh, well done Mario." Link calmly praised. "This should work perfectly."

"Hey, I see apples up there!" Rosalina informed with child-like glee, her fists against her hips with pride.

"Excellent, lets gather as much food as we can." Link encouraged, walking near the stone mount now. "We might be here for awhile."

"I'll start collecting them." Mario offered, marching towards the nearby apple tree.

With that, the ground started to shake. Not vigorously, but enough to cause alarm. Exclamation marks of appropriate colour appeared over the heads of Mario, Link, and Rosalina. Link gasped as he saw silt rain from the edges of the rumbling stone mound, which proceeded to rise. It eventually stood tall as a strange faceless white stone creature, with stone legs and large boulders for fists.

 _ **\- STONE TALUS -**_

"Hahahaha!" Link laughed, hands on his bare belly. "Well then. A trial it is indeed!"

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!" Mario screamed, still holding onto a tree after claiming some apples from its upper branches.

"Is that a big walking boulder?" Rosalina asked, finger on her chin in calm thought. "That's so cool."

"It's not just a big walking boulder!" Link sprinted, quickly claiming the axe and then sprinting away from the Stone Talus. "It's a Stone Talus. They're violent, golem-like beasts that are all over Hyrule. They're dangerous, and unfortunately we have little means to combat one right now. So let's get creative, shall we?"

"Violent?" Rosalina inquired, as it charged back it's left boulder. She had a calm tone in her voice, looking slightly skyward in wonder. "I think it's sort of cute..."

The Stone Talus then launched a rolling boulder directly at Mario.

"A-wa-wa-wa-wa!" Mario cried, jumping from the tree and landing on the ground feet first. He sprinted away as the tree was smashed into large chunks of wood.

The large boulder that had been thrown continued to roll, flattening whatever was in its path until it finally hit the far wall and smashed into smithereens.

"Wow, that was close!" Mario cried, adjusting his cap.

The Stone Talus leaned towards the earth with its left side, taking some time to pull another boulder out.

"This is our chance!" Link cried, revealing his Sheikah Slate. _**"Stasis!"**_

Then, something strange had happened. It was nothing like Mario nor Rosalina had ever seen. The Stone Talus was frozen in place, glowing yellow. Magical yellow chains from multiple directions had bounded it. The yellow energy was flashing incrementally, the rate of flashing gradually increasing with each passing second.

"Mario! Use your Goddess Power and strike it now!" Link ordered, his eyes narrowed with determination.

"What? What's happening? Attack it where?" Mario panicked, having no idea what was happening.

"Quickly! The stone! There isn't time!" Link cried, sweat present on his forehead.

"What stone? It _is_ stone!" Mario countered, frazzled.

"Did you freeze it in place?" Rosalina questioned, stunned by the phenomenon. "How did you do that?"

Before anyone could comprehend, let alone act, the power of Stasis had worn out. The Stone Talus was free to move again, and it continued to pull out a boulder from the earth. It was now armed with two.

"Argh..." Link spat, growing irritated. "Look, we don't have time to dwell on the details. We need to act quickly!"

The Stone Talus proceeded to charge back its right boulder.

"Uhh, guys?" Rosalina intervened, nervously watching the Stone Talus ready its attack.

"Don't get so worked up!" Mario growled, toe to toe with Link. The Stone Talus had launched its boulder, which was rolling towards them. "We aren't from Hyrule, we don't know exactly whats going on!"

"Guys, watch out!" Rosalina cried while leaning forward, her fists clenched near her face.

Mario turned with clenched teeth, quick to do a backflip. He was a good enough jumper to impressively rise above the rolling boulder. Link however, was not. He tried to avoid the boulder, but was struck. It exploded on his defenseless body, causing abrasion on his back. He fell flat on his face into the nearby stream, which reddened some from the slight blood that had been drawn.

"Link!" Rosalina cried, Mario landing his backflip with a single hand against the ground.

"H-Hey, are you alright?" Mario gasped, his eyes showing slight despair.

"I'll help him, you just deal with that thing!" Rosalina ordered, dropping to a knee in the stream and lifting his face out of the water.

Mario grit his teeth, turning to the Stone Talus. It was already readying its other attack. "Damn thing. I'll take it out myself!"

Mario then ran straight for the Stone Talus, which launched a boulder at him. Mario did a single jump, the boulder rolling towards him. He landed and did another jump, landing again and then doing a triple jump. He soared directly over the boulder, and landed on top of the Stone Talus at that.

"Ha! How do you like that?" Mario smirked, bare fists on his exposed hips in pride. He proceeded to survey the top of the beast. "Now let's see..."

The Stone Talus leaned towards the right, getting ready to pull another boulder from the earth. The sudden lean had caused Mario to lose his balance a bit, his bare feet struggling to reclaim footing on the stone top.

"W-Whoa, easy there." Mario eased, his eyes meeting a strange looking stone that stuck out from the top of the beast. "Now what's this? I'll bet it's your weak point!"

Mario then went down to a squat, the Stone Talus pulling another boulder from the earth. It stood tall, but Mario was unaffected. His fist was burning a flame. He lunged towards the stone with zooming speed, animated racing lines exemplifying his movement.

 _ **"FIRE PUNCH!"**_

A stone crushing sound pierced the odd room as Mario struck the stone with a flaming fist. Mario was quite accustomed to smashing blocks, so punching stone did not hurt his hand in the slightest. The Stone Talus let out an eerie moan of pain, stumbling on its feet. It appeared that Mario had done some damage.

"Mario found its weakness!" Rosalina cheered while on her knees, Links head resting on her lap. They were positioned on the grass right beside the stream.

With the boulder the Stone Talus had pulled from the earth, it grabbed Mario who had spent too much time standing on its top.

"Gwah!" Mario cried, trapped in the stone grip.

"Mario!" Rosalina cried, her eyes widening some.

The Stone Talus threw Mario somewhat weakly, but the nearly naked hero smashed back first against a sturdy tree.

"Hrgh!" Mario cried, falling down onto his feet. His bare back had a bit of abrasion, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

"You okay?" Rosalina inquired, her eyes glistening with worry.

"I'm alright." Mario assured, resuming his fighting stance as he stared at the Stone Talus that only had one boulder now. "Geez, that hurt! This thing is going down!"

Just when they thought things couldn't get worse, another Stone Talus had fallen from the sky, landing far away from them. This one was black in colour, while the one they had been fighting was white in colour. It was standing tall with two black boulders already on it. It proceeded to march towards them.

 _ **\- STONE TALUS -**_

"A-Another one?" Rosalina weakly gawked, her face filled with despair.

"Are you serious?" Mario growled, sweat present on his forehead. "There's _two_ of them now?"

Link emit a grunt as he stood tall on his feet once again. Rosalina seemed worried.

"H-Hey, should you be standing?" Rosalina cautioned, looking up at his rough back while on her knees.

"I'm fine, thank you. That was nothing." Link dismissed, his expression dead serious. "Mario."

"Hmm?" Mario barked, directing his eyes towards Link behind him, but not facing him. He remained in his fighting stance.

The black Stone Talus continued to march towards them. The white Stone Talus was pulling another boulder from the earth below.

"I am sorry for my behaviour. I failed to keep my composure and made things difficult for us." Link apologized, his expression remaining serious. "The Stone Talus, as you now know, can be defeated by striking the stone that sticks from their tops."

Mario was silent, listening as Link continued to explain. "They are both about to throw a boulder at the same time. Get back and let me demonstrate to you what I can do with the Shiekah Slate."

"Throw a boulder at the same time?" Rosalina fret. "I don't think we'll all be able to dodge that very easily in a room this small..."

"I'm counting on you..." Mario sighed begrudgingly, not liking to retreat. He moved to the rear with Rosalina.

Link stood at the front, both Stone Talus were near. They each readied a boulder. Link lifted his Shiekah Slate, his attention directed towards the black one. _**"Stasis!"**_

Once again, the same magic happened. Yellow energy imprisoned the black Stone Talus. It was frozen in time. The white Stone Talus launched its boulder, which quickly rolled towards Link.

"That is _Stasis_. It is a rune -an ability of sorts- that is contained within my Shiekah Slate. It allows me to freeze time for anything, living or non-living, temporarily." Link explained, dodging the single boulder with ease.

"That's incredible!" Mario awed, his fist clenched.

"The black one will be freed soon. It will launch its boulder, so be prepared." Link warned.

Mario, Rosalina, and Link were already moved out of the way. Stasis wore off, and the black Stone Talus launched its boulder at nothing.

"That's really helpful." Rosalina calmly admitted. "But how do we fight back?"

"Well, before we can answer that, we need to figure out what everyone here can do." Link thought aloud, much more calmly than before. "I have a number of tricks up my sleeve, but lack the necessary physical power at the moment."

"I've got your physical power, right here!" Mario grinned, in a fighting stance. "Leave it to me to take them out!"

"What about you, Rosalina? What can you do?" Link asked. The white Stone Talus had launched its last boulder, and the three of them ran out of the way.

"Oh, me? Umm..." Rosalina paused, taking awhile to think. "Nothing. I think."

"I find it hard to believe you can't do anything..." Link calmly dismissed. "Try to think."

The boulder from the white Stone Talus missed them and smashed into the stone wall. It reached down into the earth to grab another. The black Stone Talus was readying the last boulder it had.

"Link! The white one is out of boulders!" Mario cried, charging towards it.

"I'll hold off the black one!" Link assured, holding up his Shiekah Slate while facing the black one with clenched teeth. _**"Stasis!"**_

The black Stone Talus was sealed once again in yellow time-stopping magic. Mario was rolling through the air in his triple jump, his right foot igniting with flame. He exited the roll with a flaming stomp that was heading directly towards the weak point of the preoccupied white Stone Talus.

 _ **"FIRE STOMP!"**_ Mario cried, nailing the stone with a flaming kick.

The white Stone Talus moaned in pain, ripping a boulder from the earth. Mario had backflipped off of the white Stone Talus before it could perform any sort of counterattack. The stasis on the black Stone Talus had worn off, and it launched its boulder towards Link and Rosalina.

"Got him!" Mario grinned with a clenched fist as he landed on his bare feet.

"Yes, but at this rate it will take a very long time to defeat the both of them..." Link calmly fret, sprinting to avoid the boulder.

Rosalina found herself frozen, like a deer in the headlights. The black boulder was tumbling quickly towards her practically defenseless form.

"R-ROSALINA!" Mario cried, pointlessly but instinctively extending a useless hand towards her.

"Rosalina!" Link cried, stepping forward with widened eyes.

Just as it was about to strike her, she closed her teary eyes. Almost instinctively, as if the brink of death had awakened her, she brought her arms together in cross formation. Her hands were sharp, not clenched into fists.

As she performed this action, a magical clear blue barrier had formed around her. It was just like the one that formed around her when Kammy Koopa had attacked her unconscious form with her transformation magic. And just like before, the attack that struck it was sent back towards its point of origin at twice the velocity.

"Whoa!" Link cried, ducking instinctively even though he was already out of the way. If he wasn't, it would have hit him. Mario simply watched in awe.

The black boulder struck the black Stone Talus with incredible speed, causing its legs to break. It fell onto the forest green, helpless and stuck.

"Rosalina that was incredible! You beat it!" Mario cheered, his fists clenched.

"I-I did?" Rosalina calmly gawked, both stunned and amazed.

"No, you haven't. You've only managed to immobilize it temporarily." Link declined. "It's forming new legs beneath the ground as we speak. We need to act quickly."

"I'll attack it!" Mario decided, marching towards the defenseless body.

"No, wait! I have an idea!" Link stopped, extending a hand.

"What is it?" Mario asked, the white Stone Talus preparing an attack.

"I've been observing your abilities. I can sense something within you, something that you might not understand." Link reasoned, his eyes keen as he revealed his Shiekah Slate. "You don't exactly have the power to defeat this Stone Talus while it's down, so I want to try something I believe will give you _more_ power."

With that, Link spawned a glowing blue square shaped bomb. The white Stone Talus was just about to throw the boulder it had. The black Stone Talus was still down, Rosalina nervously on the sidelines while Mario and Link were at the center of the action.

"Catch, jump, and don't be alarmed!" Link ordered, tossing the blue square bomb at Mario. Mario indeed caught it, and then he jumped. Link raised his Shiekah Slate, and the bomb detonated while the midair Mario was holding it.

"WHOA!" Mario cried, as his form absorbed the explosion without an issue. His belly was now fat, and the updraft from the explosion sent his balloon-like form slowly soaring higher. The grass was on fire below, which helped preserve an updraft which was keeping balloon Mario afloat.

"Yes, just as I thought!" Link cheered, with a clenched fist.

"Hehehe!" Rosalina laughed, animated thick yellow lines accenting her amusement. "Mario got all fat like a balloon!"

"W-What's happening?" Mario protested, mildly panicking as he continued to roll around within the updraft.

The Stone Talus launched the boulder, and Link grunted as revealed his Sheikah Slate, standing in the path of the boulder. _**"Stasis!"**_

The boulder was stopped in place, and Link drew his wooden axe. He proceeded to spin around in place with the axe extended. With each hit, the imprisoned boulder was going from being coated in yellow magic to red magic. The updraft was still strong, Mario floating higher. The white Stone Talus was proceeding to dig up another boulder, the black Stone Talus still without legs, but starting to wobble more frequently.

"What's happening?" Rosalina calmly awed.

Link concluded his spin, the rate of flashing of the imprisoned boulder increasing. "Stasis not only freezes time for an object, but also stores any kinetic energy that the object gains during that time."

"What? What's happening?" Mario barked, stuck at the top of the updraft in his balloon like state, unable to see what was happening in the damaged fiery forest below.

"So when the stasis effect wears off..." Link continued, the stasis wearing off right as he concluded his sentence.

The boulder than launched vigorously back towards the preoccupied white Stone Talus with incredible speed. It struck the white Stone Talus, which lost its legs and fell to the ground just like the black one had. Both Stone Talus were downed, their weak points exposed.

"That kinetic energy is released, in the appropriate direction!" Link exclaimed, his blue eyes narrowed and bright.

"Incredible!" Rosalina calmly awed, her blue eyes glistening in wonder. "That was so cool!"

"That's just the beginning of it..." Link smirked, then directed his attention upward at the floating Mario. "This updraft will die soon, and these Stone Talus won't remain stuck for long... We've got one shot at this..."

Link then spawned another blue bomb, although this one was a sphere instead of a square. He sent it up into the updraft, and it made it's way up steadily towards Mario.

"What's happening?" Mario repeated, stuck looking at the ceiling. He was rocking in the wind while in his inflated form. "I'm starting to get a bit sick..."

"Mario! You're about to get even bigger!" Link explained, the black Stone Talus getting ready to rise.

"What?" Mario barked. "Bigger?"

When the bomb was just below Mario, Link detonated it remotely with the Sheikah Slate. Mario increased in size, but twirled in such a way that he was now facing down at everything.

"You don't have much time!" Link cried, racing lines exemplifying his epic cry. "I know you know what to do, Mario!"

(What am I supposed to do?) Mario had a single sweat drop on his forehead. He was stuck in the air in this odd balloon shape, full of fire. He saw the black Stone Talus was rocking vigorously. He felt the pressure. His eyes lit up as memories rushed back to him.

 **{** Citizens of Mushroom City watched with anticipation for the scorching blaze within its streets to subside. At long last, Bowser finally closed his mouth and stared ahead with deep red eyes. He waited anxiously to see if Mario had burned to a crisp. He was sure he had, as he saw the hero in red get submerged in his flames.

However, much to his surprise, Mario was perfectly fine. It seemed impossible, there was no way he wasn't hit with his fire blast. But there he stood, white gloved fists clenched at his sides, his eyes determined. Bowser's eyes were trembling with awe, his jaw dropped as he saw part of Mario's face slowly being rebuilt over flame. It was as if Mario himself was made of fire. Bowser had never seen anything like it. **}**

(That's right!) Mario realized, his eyes widening. (With the power of the Goddess Star, I _AM_ fire... I can manipulate the fire within me at my will!)

"What is he going to do?" Rosalina calmly fret, looking up with a fist clenched beneath her chin.

"Don't worry." Link grinned, his eyes concealed in the shadow of his dirty blonde bangs. "I can tell he's figured it out."

 _ **"FLAMING!"**_ Mario cried, raising his head back, then taking in a deep breath. He closed his eyes and had an expression of determined struggle as he transferred the fire in his belly into his arms. He was able to successfully do so, now having two massive arms and fists while still floating in the updraft, his torso back to a normal size.

"Whoa! He made his arms huge!" Rosalina calmly awed, her eyes lit up.

"He was able to concentrate the fire within him that I provided to somewhere more useful." Link explained, his eyes softly closed. A child like diagram was behind his head, which showed a floating inflated Mario sucking in air, and then red arrows in his body heading towards his arms. The fiery mass went from the torso into the arms, inflating the arms and deflating the torso. "Since he has the power of the Fire Star, he can store fire inside of him and move it around at will via convection. He can even use it to increase the size of his arms."

With clenched teeth and an epic expression, Mario aimed his giant fists towards each Stone Talus, prepared to crush them both into bits. Racing lines accented the giant fists as they went towards their targets.

 _ **"GIANT DOUBLE CRUSHER!"**_

Despite a heroic attempt, the attack did not go quite as planned. The giant fists couldn't contain the fire inside any longer, and instead, two massive energetic fire blasts launched out of his fists and towards the two Stone Talus as the giant fists lost their shape. This caused Mario to recoil and fly back in midair. Luckily, the fire blasts were strong and accurate enough to cause each Stone Talus to crumble into bits, their stones flying up high.

"He did it!" Rosalina cheered with a bright eyed smile, fists near her chin in glee.

"Excellent work!" Link praised, with a happy laugh. "I knew you could do it!"

The updraft died, and Mario proceeded to fall back down. His eyes were concealed in shadow from his cap, his fists and feet held up high. There was a grin on his face as stone rained all around him. They had successfully completed the first part of the trial.


	11. Chapter 11: Continuing the Trials

**Chapter 11:** Continuing the Trials

The large log clunked as it was split in two by Link's wooden axe. He had managed to build quite the impressive wood pile. He took a moment to rest, wiping the sweat from his brow with a sigh of relief. The smell of freshly cut timber hung in the dimly lit chamber. Rosalina had managed to find a tiny frog. She was watching it contently as it hopped along the riverside. She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, her legs pale in contrast to the surrounding darkness. Mario was lying down on his back where he had fallen. His palms faced skyward, fingers curled weakly. His eyes were peacefully closed. That attack must have taken a lot out of him Link had gathered, so he decided to let him rest and not ask for his help. Link enjoyed the work though, and he could tell that Mario was the type who did too. The large rocks from the Stone Talus had landed all around them, but besides some flint that Link had managed to gather from them, they were of no value.

"I think that's just about what we can salvage from here." Link spoke aloud, the first voice to break the silence in quite some time. "This should prove useful for the upcoming trials."

"I'm hungry..." Rosalina complained, with a frown on her face.

"Is that so? If you can catch that frog there for me, I'll make you some delicious frog eyeballs." Link joked, failing to hide a slight grin.

"Ahh?" Rosalina gasped, her eyes widened in terror. She did what she could to hide the unaware frog with her hands from Link. "You monster! There's no way I could eat my friend!"

"What a shame..." Link sighed. He then spread his arms with a glistening sound effect, the background a sparkling yellow with multiple green frogs flowing in an out of frame. Link was wearing a chefs hat and apron, a beaming smile on his face with an animated blush of pride. "There are all sorts of people in Hyrule who would pay a lot of money for ' _Chef Link's Famous Frog Eyeballs'_!"

"Just what kind of weirdos live in Hyrule anyway?" Rosalina scolded, pointing a demeaning finger which shattered the illusion.

"Oh ho ho..." Mario laughed, still lying on his back.

"Ahh, so you're up!" Link calmly noted, seeming somewhat relieved.

"That nearly knocked me out..." Mario admitted, sitting up with a hand on his forehead. Some grass was stuck to his bare back.

"Hmm... Maybe you shouldn't do that attack anymore?" Rosalina tentatively suggested, scratching her head weakly while looking slightly downward. Her speech was slow as usual.

"On the contrary. I think it would be of great benefit if you learned how to control an attack like that." Link calmly argued. "Once mastered, it would be a devastating power."

"I just can't believe I can inflate like that..." Mario shrugged, shaking his head.

"*snort* Hehe." Rosalina giggled, laughing into her hands, almost how a little child does. "Oh yeah. That was super funny."

"As for you, Princess." Link continued, shifting his attention to her. The wooden axe was now resting against his back. "That was quite the impressive ability you demonstrated."

"Huh?" Rosalina slowly started, taking some time to think. "Oh, you mean the barrier? Yeah, I didn't know I could do that. But now I remember that I can."

"Interesting." Link noted, his eyes closed and bare arms folded. "I wonder what other abilities lie dormant?"

"Probably nothing." Rosalina frowned, apparently pessimistic.

 **"Hey! It's me again!"**

Once again, the androgynous youthful voice had appeared. Almost instinctively, the three of them looked upwards into the darkness.

 **"Congratulations on passing the first trial! You guys really demonstrated some awesome teamwork. Nice job!"**

"You tried to kill us." Link declined, his tone serious.

 **"Huh?"**

"Just what kind of crap are we supposed to go through, here?" Mario demanded. "I'm not willing to stake my life on these trials, you know!"

"Yeah, can't we just do a few puzzles or something?" Rosalina suggested, failing to hold back a yawn.

 **"** **Look, if you guys expect to have any chance of defeating all of our enemies, you're gonna need to go through pretty vigorous training!"**

"I don't recall "death" being a part of training..." Link declined. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that's the key difference between training and the real thing."

 **"There has never truly been a risk of death.** **If you guys had of "died", you would have just failed the trail and then you would have been transported back to your world, safely. You won't actually die."**

"Then why didn't you just tell us that?" Mario sighed, shaking his head. "I thought we were in serious danger back there."

The youthful voice almost squeaked. **"Because I want you guys to take this seriously! Because if you can't pass my trials, chances are you really _might_ die because you won't stand a chance against what's to come!"**

The three of them remained silent, unimpressed.

 **"Alright. I'm sorry, okay? I just want you guys to pass the trials. And for us to be friends. So that we can do great things together."**

"Then why aren't you doing these trials with us?" Link challenged, raising an excellent point.

 **"Well, umm... I actually... don't have a body yet..."**

"What? You don't have a body?" Mario gawked. "How exactly are you supposed to help us, again?"

 **"I said _YET_ , okay! I'm just waiting for a... vessel to inhabit."**

"A vessel?" Rosalina inquired, a blue question mark appearing over her head. It wobbled weakly until it faded out of existence. "You mean like, a ship?"

 **"No, I mean some sort of body. I have wicked awesome skills, just no physical form to use them with... But I'm working on it, okay!"**

"You certainly are strange." Link shrugged, unsure of what to say.

 **"I'll take that as a compliment. Now hurry up and enter this portal, okay? The next trial is harder than the last. It's crucial that you pass with flying colours, okay? Don't let me down, now!"**

"Not like we have much choice anyway." Link sighed, looking downward with folded arms.

"Another trial?" Rosalina sighed, her expression somber. "Gee, what a pain..."

"I'm pumped!" Mario cheered, with clenched fists. "I love testing my skills!"

 **"At least one of you has the right idea! Try and take this seriously, alright? I'll be waiting for you guys!"**

With that, a light blue portal with mystic, unknown insignias appeared on a flat section of grass. The voice had disappeared. The light was peaceful and inviting.

"Well, let's press onward." Link mildly encouraged. "After we pass these trials, we can reunite with the others."

"Hey, do you think they went to the mall without us?" Rosalina mildly fret, looking off with a finger on her chin in dopey eyed thought. "I really wanted to go to the game store..."

"I'm not sure, but right now we gotta give this next trial everything we've got!" Mario encouraged, his fists clenched and spirits high.

"*sigh* okay..." Rosalina sighed, practically defeated already. "What a pain."

(Why is someone who is so deeply connected to the Goddess, so low in spirit?) Link thought to himself, his blue eyes glistening. His pensive expression bore some concern.

With that, the three of them stepped into the portal. Their forms had immediately started to glow with an eerie blue light. With mild expressions of awe, they watched as they themselves transformed into balls of light, which then rose skyward within the confines of a cylindrical pillar of blue light.

 **/**

Meanwhile, back in Mushroom City, Princess Peach, Daisy, and Luigi were cruising through the southern district of Mushroom City on uniquely coloured vespas. It was a beautiful and sunny afternoon in the early spring. The southern district of Mushroom City housed much of the major modes of transportation.

There was the Princess Peach Airport, which was used widely (but not exclusively) for international travelling. Usually, many flights a day were heading to and from Sarasaland, but ever since Grodus has been in power, these flights have been discontinued.

There was also the city train, the Mushroom Express, which was a luxurious sleek white and red train that brought one to various locations all over the Mushroom Kingdom. This was achieved via a five day journey around the Mushroom Kingdom, with various stops at different locations. Ticket prices were based on the distance of your destination, but were incredibly expensive regardless. The Mushroom Express was located at Mushroom City Station, which wasn't too far from Mushroom City Harbour. Mushroom City Harbour used to run the Daisy Cruiser for trips to Rogueport, but this has also been discontinued since Grodus acquired power. The Daisy Cruiser currently remains docked safely in Mushroom Harbour.

Peach, Daisy, and Luigi arrived at the parking lot for Mushroom City Mall. They each parked their orange, green, and pink vespas, and in that order.

"You think they'll be mad at us for going to the mall without them?" Luigi worried, unclipping his helmet strap.

"Nah..." Daisy declined, shaking her head and adjusting her now free hair. "Mario's not the kind of guy to care about something like that. As for Rosalina and Link, well, I can't say. Good thing Navi opted to stay back at the Castle and wait for them, though."

"I suppose. Although truthfully, I am a tad guilty we are not waiting there with her." Peach admitted, already wearing her sunhat once again. "But I think Katan T. raised a good point about the cell phones. I believe it is of utmost importance that we get them as soon as possible."

"I think you just wanna be able to text Mario when he's not around." Daisy sniped, failing to hide a grin as she leaned slightly forward with her fists against her hips.

"W-Well, I suppose I would be lying if that was not partially the case..." Peach shyly admitted, as the three of them walked towards the entrance. It was very busy at the mall today. Peach continued to speak her mind. "I really do hope they are alright. That... portal? It was some strange, wasn't it? I can't help be worried."

"They'll be fine. I'm sure it's just more of Rosalina's hoodoo." Daisy assured, clearly deciding not to worry about it.

"Yeah, besides, they got Mario with them anyway. He always pulls through." Luigi encouraged.

"I suppose that is true..." Peach softly admitted. She started to feel a bit better.

"Hey, what's this?" Luigi spotted, a green exclamation mark appearing over his head. He walked towards what appeared to be a poster for some sort of an event.

The poster featured two moustachioed men, one rather short and fat and the other one tall, thin, and lanky. The short and fat man had yellow clothes and purple overalls, whereas the lanky man wore purple clothes with black overalls. The fat man had a big open-mouth smile while pointing a gloved finger, whereas the tall and skinny man was rubbing his rather twiggy moustache between his fingers with an apparent sense of pride. The poster read:

 _"THE WARIO BROS. PRESENT: THE BOMBASTIC CARNIVAL! It'll be a BLAST!"_

"The Wario Bros? Ugh, I know them from Sarasaland." Daisy informed, almost with a sneer. She seemed to disapprove of them. "They're conmen. This can't be any good."

"Really? Apparently they are gonna be holding this Bombastic Carnival right here in Mushroom City tomorrow." Luigi explained, rubbing his chin as he continued to look at the poster.

"Oooh, a carnival!" Peach awed, unable to resist bearing a childlike closed eyed smile as the background changed to hearts. Her hands were then against her cheeks with a blush, her eyes glistening as she fantasized about riding a ferris wheel with Mario. "Oh, what fun! We should all go together!"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Daisy countered, her fists against her hips.

"Oh, it can't be too bad." Peach assured. "They needed permission from Pauline in order to do this, right? I trust her completely."

"That's true. Mayor Pauline must have agreed to let them go through with it." Luigi concluded, exiting his lean toward the poster. "It's official."

"Even Pauline is on board? Gee, what was she thinking?" Daisy shrugged, seeming skeptical. "This all seems fishy to me."

"Oh, stop that." Peach kindly dismissed. "We're all going tomorrow and that's that. It'll be fun!"

"Yeah!" Luigi cheered, jumping high with a clenched fist.

"Whatever..." Daisy sighed, looking off to the right with folded arms.

"Anyway, let us begin shopping, shall we?" Peach chimed, her head slightly tilted with a soft toothless smile and closed eyes.

 **/**

Back in the trials, the blue portal was waiting for them, only this time it was in a patch of snow. The orbs of light twirled downward within the confides of a blue pillar of light, reforming the three heroes upon arriving at the bottom and making contact with the portals base. By the time the three of them stood up tall, the portal had disappeared.

"B-Brr..." Rosalina shivered, rubbing her arms vigorously to keep warm. Her breath was icy, and her skin was already turning quite red.

Link was shivering as well, his arms tight to his sides and eyes widened as his teeth chattered. His breath was icy. The air was unbelievably cold.

"Ah-wa-wa-ah-wa-wa-ah-wa-wa!" Mario relentlessly chattered, his eyes widened as he stood in place rubbing his arms and shivering. He then realized that he actually wasn't cold at all. He examined his hands in calm surprise. "Oh?"

"Hey, I'm not cold!" Mario awed, rather amazed.

"Y-Y-You're n-n-not?" Link awed, apparently intrigued despite his own circumstance.

"I'm g-g-g-gonna d-d-die." Rosalina fret, her body temperature rapidly decreasing.

"Not at all, I'm totally fine!" Mario gawked. "I think it's because of the Fire Star!"

He then ran forward a distance, clenching his fists at his sides. _**"Fire!"**_

A moderate burst of flame extended outward in a small radius, almost like a mini atomic bomb. It completely melted the snow in the surrounding area, and warmed the surrounding air for a short period. Rosalina and Link were quick to run into it, already feeling better as their bare feet escaped the snow and arrived on steamy warm grass. Link revealed a bundle of wood, as well as a piece of flint.

"I can get that." Mario offered, turning with his bare palm facing the wood pile. He launched a single fire ball, which immediately transformed the wood bundle into a functioning fireplace.

Rosalina and Link didn't even take the time to thank him, diving onto their knees and holding their hands before the burning flame.

"Hey, take a good look at this place!" Mario awed, fists on his bare hips in excitement as he examined the snowy world.

It had not occurred to Rosalina or Link to survey their surroundings, as they had been preoccupied with getting warm. Now that they were safely by the fireplace, they took the time to take a good look around. It was a beautiful scene. It felt as if they were back in their world. To Link, it looked like the Hebra Mountains of Hyrule. To Mario, it reminded him of the Mushroom Kingdoms Shiver region. To Rosalina, it simply looked cold.

The night sky above was filled with billions upon billions of stars. Link was more accustomed to the starry night sky compared to Mario, who has lived almost all of his life living in or near a light polluted city. He spent a few minutes explaining some star positions to the two of them, and Mario wondered if Rosalina had ever flown near any of them. Rosalina explained that even though she was travelling for one thousand years, she wouldn't have gotten near hardly any of them as they were all just that far away. Mario didn't understand, and Rosalina decided that it would be too much of a pain to clarify it for him.

There were also large evergreen trees with piles of snow rested upon their branches. The area was spacious with lots of plain. This, combined with the bordering mountain and endless stars, one felt completely minimized.

"There are very few mountains like this in the Mushroom kingdom." Mario thought to himself.

"Is that so?" Link inquired, raising an eyebrow with a wrist on his knee as he sat in front of the fire. Rosalina had her hands to it, the flame flickering in her eyes. "Come to Hyrule. They are commonplace."

"Definitely." Mario promised, with a nod. "I'm excited to go, I've never been there before."

"You actually have already been to Hyrule." Rosalina corrected. "We both have. That's where we met."

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Mario shrugged, with a polite grin of refusal. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that's impossible."

"I do sense a strong connection to the Goddess within the two of you. Maybe this is what you are feeling, Rosalina?" Link suggested.

There was a brief period of silence. Link eventually had summoned Rosalina.

"Hm?" Rosalina softly barked.

"Perhaps you could explain to me your story, while Mario goes and gathers some supplies for us?" Link suggested. "Seeing how he can keep warm and all."

"Supplies? What kind of supplies?" Mario asked, scratching the back of his tilted head.

"Warm clothes, for one." Link answered. "I'll bet there will be something around here somewhere we could use. Otherwise we won't be able to help you with this trial. Some meat, and any kind of spices you can find. I could then cook a dish that would help keep us warm. Hot peppers can grow in certain mountain regions because of the altitude, so keep an eye out."

"Hot peppers grow on mountains? How?" Rosalina questioned, a blue question mark wobbling over her head before fading out of existence.

"Birds." Link answered, his arms folded and expression informative. "When birds eat peppers, they don't break up the seeds. They poop them out whole, and the seeds then land in all sorts of different places, sometimes quite high up. Some plants can even be spread to other regions this way."

"Oh, wow!" Rosalina smiled, her expression full of glee. Bold yellow lines accented her glee. "That's so funny. You're smart!"

"Just some tricks of the wild." Link nodded.

"Alright, I'll go and gather some stuff. You guys just sit tight, okay?" Mario waved, running away in the snow nearly naked. "Don't freeze on me!"

"We have plenty of wood and flint, so we should be able to hold off until he gets back..." Link answered, more so just thinking out loud rather than replying, since Mario was already so far away. He turned to Rosalina, who kept looking at the fire. "Now then. I suppose we should talk."

With that, Mario began his adventure in this mysterious, snowy world. The next part of the trial was about to begin.


	12. Chapter 12: The Second Trial, Part 1

**Chapter 12:** The Second Trial, Part I

The mall was absolutely bustling today. From a top down view, it looked like a sea of different coloured Toad heads migrating through the first and second floors of the rectangular complex. The contrast of colours looked almost like that of an abstract painting.

Peach was inside of a store of a particular cell phone provider, doing her best to understand all of the technical lingo the sales provider was bombarding her with. He was a youthful male Toad in a blue uniform, with blonde bangs swept to the side. His spots were a dark yellow. Daisy was standing right by Peach's side, her arms folded and foot tapping. She stared down the sales associate, inspecting and judging every word that came from his mouth for any hint of swindling. Luigi had spent some time examining the displayed electronics. He particularly enjoyed a pair of noise cancelling headphones he had tried, but knew from the moment he had seen them that he could not afford them.

Luigi then journeyed outside with his hands in his overall pockets, seeing if there were any nearby stores he could inspect to kill some time as Peach went through the rigorous ordeal of setting up multiple cell phone plans. As Luigi stood outside while looking to the right, a tall lanky man in purple had bumped into him, which caused the stranger to emit a rather nasally bark of surprise.

 _"Wah!"_

 _"Whoa!"_

Luigi's eyes met the narrow eyes of the tall lanky man, who was preoccupied with trying to catch an object which their encounter had caused him to drop. Luigi directed his gaze on what appeared to be a strange wooden doll that was falling from his hands. The doll itself wore a blue cape, as well as a blue hat with yellow ribbon on it. It also wore dark brown boots and had a spiked yellow collar. The big, blankly staring eyes of the doll were a deep maroon.

Luigi went for a dive, and managed to catch the doll. With a bit of a mid air turn, he landed on his rump with the doll safely in his lap.

"Gotcha!" Luigi smiled, somewhat proud.

The lanky man in purple stomped forward with pointed orange shoes, snatching the doll out of Luigi's arms. "H-Huh?"

"Give me that!" Waluigi sneered, looking at the man in green down the bridge of his nose. " _This,_ is the grand prize at tomorrows carnival! I can't have someone like you sullying it!"

"Huh? Grand prize? Carnival?" Luigi thought aloud, standing up and rubbing the back of his head. Then, it all clicked. He was the man from the carnival poster. "Oh, yeah! The Bombastic Carnival! You're the guy!"

"Yes, that's right." Waluigi quickly firmed, seeming hellbent on not wanting to waste another second with Luigi as he rubbed his twiggy moustache between his fingertips. He bore an overwhelming sense of pride, of which Luigi apparently had appeared to be oblivious.

"That things the grand prize?" Luigi gawked, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't know, seems a bit shabby to me."

 _"Shabby?!"_ Waluigi shrieked, as if he had been deeply offended somehow. "This is the elusive Geno doll! There is only one of its kind, and it is thought to be over a hundred years old. Look at the incredible wood work! People will love it!"

"Yeah, somehow I doubt that..." Luigi declined, weakly kicking with his hands in his pockets. "What a weird prize for a carnival."

"Whatever. Not like I would a expect a simpleton like yourself to appreciate something so magnificent." Waluigi sneered, storming off rather angrily. "It would be a shame if people like you won it."

Luigi watched with his hands in his pockets as the lanky man stormed off with his twiggy legs in his rather ridiculous pointed shoes. "Geez, what's his deal?"

 **/**

Mario had migrated through the plain quite some distance, running barefoot through the snow. It was quite the peculiar feeling, to trot half naked through snow and not feel the least bit chilly. He paused to look back. At this distance, he could hardly see the faint pillar of smoke from Link and Rosalina's fire. He faced forward and continued through the plain.

 **/**

"I see." Link acknowledged, fire light flickering on his face. "I knew I had sensed the Goddess in you."

"I don't remember much else." Rosalina added, half apolegetically.

"A thousand years drifting through space, surrounded by the energy of the Goddess." Link summarized, stirring up the coals with a stick, before placing another log on the fire.

"In the past," He began, sitting back down. "Zelda would sometimes speak of such a Legend. I don't remember paying too much attention though, because it would not have been quite as relevant during that time as it is today."

"In the past?" Rosalina inquired, staring into the fire.

"Aye." Link confirmed, nodding to the fire. "That would be over a hundred years ago, now."

"Wait, _what?!_ " Rosalina gawked, turning to him in shock. "Just how old _are_ you, anyway?"

"Ahahaha!" Link laughed, rather boisterously. It was almost as if he was drinking sake again. "Yes, well. Let's just say you're not the only one who has been... how would you describe it? _Preserved_ , over some period of time. But that's a story for another day."

"Hmm... hey, umm..." Rosalina slowly started, looking off to the distance with a finger on her chin in thought. "So then we're all from different time periods, right? You, Mario, and I."

"Yes." Link confirmed, with a single nod. His wrist lay limp over a bent knee in a leaning sit. "That would be the case."

"I wonder..." Rosalina continued, eventually heaving a hopeless sigh. "No, never mind..."

"What is it?" Link softly encouraged, with almost a laugh.

"Well... it's just... it's interesting that we all have met up here and are planning to work together now, in this age." Rosalina explained, her blue eyes both lazy and keen. "What are the chances of that? I can't help but wonder if this is being orchestrated."

"You think this is all the product of planned fate?" Link clarified. "Our destiny?"

"Mm." Rosalina agreed.

"I mean, it is true that it is a miracle we are all living under the same sky. But there are still lots of questions." Link objected.

Rosalina didn't reply, and instead stared forward into the fire and let Link speak.

"For example, Princess Zelda is the reason that I was preserved. She's also the reason that I'm here now." Link explained. "For you, it would have been the Goddess, right? As for Mario... I mean, I don't know that much about him yet, but I sense that he is originally from another world entirely. How did he end up in the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"And then there's whoever is making us go through these trials." Link continued. "I'm not sure if these all interconnect in someones planned out way, or if this is just one big coincidence."

"Hmm..." Rosalina was deep in thought. She took nearly five minutes to continue speaking. "It does seem like it would be hard for someone to set all of this up. Maybe even for the Goddess. Still, I just can't help but feel like someone, or _something_ , wants us all to be alive at the same time."

"It's hard to say for sure." Link admitted.

"But Mario," Rosalina was quick to continue speaking. "He must be over a thousand years old."

"Why do you think that?" Link inquired, looking at her with keen blue eyes.

"Because I have memories of him in my early life." Rosalina flatly replied.

"Like what?" Link persisted.

"I remember..."

Rosalina proceeded to slowly ramble on about various things she remembers from her past. They were mostly vague details, like Mario's clothes, or his moustache blowing in the wind. She mentioned soft air, and bright colours. Blonde hair, she emphasized blonde hair. No matter how hard Link pressed her or how many questions he asked, he couldn't get anything concrete from her, such as where she was or who she was with, or things Mario might have said. It was a weak testimony, he thought. He decided to change the subject.

 **/**

Mario had marched straight towards the snowy mountains for the entirety of the journey, the beautiful jagged mountains growing larger and larger as he approached them. It was as if it were slowly swallowing him whole, like a ship being sucked into the belly of a whale. Eventually, Mario hit a point close to the mountain where the snow suddenly got far far deeper.

"Awawa!" Mario cried, as he sunk into the snow completely. He lit himself on fire in an effort to avoid being buried alive. _**"Fire!"**_

A large burst of flame extended outward from him like an atomic bomb. All of the snow within a forty foot radius had completely melted. Mario took a moment to survey what had been revealed. The grass in the surrounding area was wet from the snow that had just melted, and there was now a steep grassy slope which led back to the snow where he had come from.

"That explains the sudden drop." Mario thought to himself.

Mario turned and saw that there was small, semi-frozen log cabin within this decline. Luckily, his quick fire burst wasn't persistent enough to set it alight, although it had no trouble vaporizing the surrounding snow. Accompanied with a bark of wonder, a red exclamation mark appeared over Mario's head as he saw the door was struggling to open.

 ** _SLAM!_**

With a loud kick, the door had finally managed to bust open from the inside. What emerged from the warm cabin was a Toad. He was dressed in a brown winter jacket, the kind that had lots of rolls. It even had a real fur hood. His pants were also brown and insulated, his boots a deep black. His mushroom head was blue rather than white, with red maple leaves instead of spots.

"Oh, thanks for that eh! Till' now I was more stuck than a beaver in maple syrup." The Toad greeted, with a friendly accent. "You can call me Canuck T."

"Oh, hello. I'm Mario." Mario replied, with a wave. "I didn't realize anyone lived way out here."

"Well Mario, I reckon ye certainly wouldn't have after that ol' avalanche earlier." Canuck T. proceed to digress. "A couple o' rumblin' from that there mountain and those snow caps were tree' sheets to the wind. Swallowed me and Dolly whole, eh, like nothin' else, mind."

Before Mario could even respond, a pink coloured dear with sparkling eyes stormed out of the log cabin. It had small sporadic white patches of fur in the shape of stars and a red bow on its adorable head.

"Eh? Dolly?! DOLLY!" Canuck T. cried, but to no avail.

Mario stood there stunned as the deer charged through him, sending him flying up in the air.

"A-wa-wa-wa-wa!" Mario cried, twirling in midair before landing on his belly. "Ooomph!"

"DOLLY! DOLLY, GET BACK HERE!" Canuck T. cried. He watched with a somber expression as the deer ran off towards the mountain.

A cold chill blew through the arctic air. Mario was back on his feet. Canuck T. waved him in.

"Aww man, there she goes. All this here happenin' has spooked er' good, eh." Canuck T. explained, somber. "Well, mite as well step on in for a cuppa and a snack. I'm just bout' gutfounded meself eh."

Mario accepted the offer with a polite nod, and entered the log cabin behind the friendly Toad. After several minutes, they were sitting at a wooden table with two steaming cups of coffee. There was an old television on top of the fridge, which Mario would have to turn extensively if he wanted to watch. There was a clear blue bag of crumpled recyclables next to the plastic black garbage bin beside the fridge. The lid was partially opened, and there were a few flies buzzing around it. Near the fireplace in the adjacent room, there were milk crates of newspaper and kindling besides the red brick hearth.

"Well, I don't know much about magic n' stuff but you don't mind the cold much, eh?" Canuck T. thought out loud, after hearing Mario's explanation. "Might you shore be a helpful hand to 'ave around these parts."

"Thanks for this, but I really can't stay for long. My friends are out in the cold and I need to find them some warm clothes." Mario explained.

"What's that now? Yer buds are in a pinch?" Canuck T. exclaimed, with concern in his tone. "Well why didn't ye pipe up before? I got just the ticket!"

With that, Canuck T. went down the hallway that was just behind him. Shortly after he returned with three sets of winter gear, folded neatly and wrapped in a strap. There were even boots. He plopped them down onto the table. The sets were surprisingly compact.

"This'll do the trick. _Real_ fur, that stuff is. Even if its bloody well 40 below, you'll be warm as toast." Canuck T. explained. "There's one for you too, eh. Even if you aint cold, it'll protect your skin from scratches and the like."

"Wow, thank you so much..." Mario awed, half apologetically as he rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, I don't have any money..."

" _Money?!_ You said yer friends were stuck out in the cold, didn't ya?" Canuck T. gawked, baffled. "Their lives be needin' savin'! I don't need no goods, bud."

"Besides, you got me out from under that ol' avalanche." Canuck T. continued. He looked downward with a somber expression. "Though I sure do miss sweet ol' Dolly, mind."

"We'll definitely keep an eye out for her." Mario assured, with a nod.

"Mighty 'ppreciate that, bud." Canuck T. nodded, smiling again. "Now go on out there and get them there on to yer friends. Before they start losin' digits eh."

With that, Mario left the log cabin, saying his farewells to the friendly and generous Canuck T. He continued through the snowfield back the way he came.

Link and Rosalina were still sitting by the fire, managing to keep warm thanks to the heat it provided. Despite this, Link began to look grim.

"I do hope Mario returns to us soon." Link admitted. "We are down to the last of our firewood."

"I'd hate to fail the trial by freezing before I had a chance to even do anything..." Rosalina agreed.

As if right on cue, a cheer could be heard from Mario as he hopped towards them.

"Ah, great! He's back." Link softly smiled.

"Finally." Rosalina added, watching as he hopped a few times, performing a triple jump and nearly landing into the fire pit.

"H-Hey!" Rosalina barked, shielding herself to brace from sparks and ash.

"Sorry that took so long, guys." Mario apologized, dropping three packs of gear. "A super friendly Toad in a log cabin over that way gave these to us."

"Really? He's a lifesaver!" Link cheered, accepting a pack.

"Aww..." Rosalina softly pouted, looking at the clothing with disdain. "But these are mens clothes..."

"I don't think you have much choice!" Mario comedically scolded.

The three of them dressed themselves in the gear, which looked just like the gear Canuck T. was wearing. Rosalina smiled as she slipped on the grey wool socks.

"Wow, these are so warm and comfortable!" Rosalina exclaimed, animated yellow bold lines accenting her glee. "But these boots are a little too big for my feet."

"Ahh. Much better." Link awed, standing tall while dressed in the gear, which fit him perfectly. Mario stood tall and stared at him in peaceful silence.

The three of them were dressed exactly the same. A brown coat with rolls, brown thick pants, and deep black boots. The hood was real fur, and only Mario opted not to wear his. The cold blush on their cheeks was almost as red as Mario's cap. Link and Rosalina each wore the black gloves that were provided, Mario choosing to wear his usual white pair.

"I'm so warm now." Rosalina calmly stated, with a hint of glee. "I just gotta keep snow out of these boots."

"Tuck your pants into them." Link advised.

"Let's start exploring!" Mario cheered, running forward with clenched fists of excitement. "I haven't even been on the mountain yet!"

"Hold on just a moment." Link silenced, revealing his Sheikah Slate. "I'm going to get us a map."

He stared at the screen, and watched as blank section of the map pulsate. Text appeared on the screen with an accompanying technical jingle.

 _"Scanning area..."_

Eventually, a blanked out section of the map shun a mystic blue light, and a detailed map had appeared along with a chiming echo. He couldn't get the entire map, however.

 _"Regional map extracted..."_

"Hmm..." Link sighed, with a hint of disappointment. "Looks like I couldn't get the entire area from here."

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Mario questioned, his head tilting for a second.

"I've extracted regional data using this Shiekah Slate." Link explained, while Rosalina was finishing up tucking her snow pants into her boots. "This looks like a really big map. If we want the full picture, we should head towards the top of that mountain there."

Rosalina and Mario both turned to where Link was facing. Link was pointing to the summit of a mountain that made Canuck T.'s cabin seem like the size of an ant.

"You mean we gotta climb up that entire mountain?" Rosalina sighed, defeated by the mere thought. "What a pain..."

"It will be much colder up there than even down here." Link warned. "I do hope this gear will suffice."

"We won't know 'till we go!" Mario cheered, jumping with a clenched fist skyward. "Come on! Let's beat this trial together!"

"Hahaha. Indeed." Link agreed, with a nod. "Let's complete the trial and get ourselves out of here."

With that, Mario, Link, and Rosalina began their adventure into this mysterious, snowy world. Unbeknownst to them, a most daunting trial awaits. Crawling on the opposite side of the mountain walked long, mechanical white legs with clawed feet, accompanied by the technical sounds of some sensory system. Glowing blue light from the machines reflected off of the snow that the clawed feet trampled over as they scanned the environment.


	13. Chapter 13: The Second Trial, Part 2

**Chapter 13:** The Second Trial, Part II: A Temple of Fire and Ice, Part I

Link, Mario, and Rosalina had undergone quite the trek. They first travelled through the snowfield, stopping to visit Canuck T., as Link wished to thank him personally for his assistance. They ended up staying for quite some time, and although Canuck T. had no sake, he did offer Link some whiskey which he accepted happily. Link could not recall the name of it, but the word "owl" came to his mind upon recollection.

Canuck T. had also offered to cook them up some food, but Link insisted that he instead cook for everyone. They ended up eating some delicious spicy steak and rice. Rosalina found it too spicy, while Mario on the other hand couldn't even taste the spice. He challenged Link to make it hotter, and it wasn't until three additions of increased heat when Rosalina finally chimed in that it might be impossible for Mario to feel the burn from spice because of his Goddess Star ability. Besides that, Rosalina stayed silent for most of the time, while Link explained how they needed to climb the mountain. Mario handled the dishes, while Canuck T. told the three of them about past adventures he had up on the mountain, how he had met Dolly, and how strange explosions and tremors have been causing avalanches recently.

Rosalina asked about Dolly. He told her about his pet deer Dolly, who ran off after being spooked by the avalanche. Rosalina seemed intrigued when she heard the deer was pink with star patterns. They eventually parted ways, and agreed to bring Dolly back if they happened to find her.

 **/**

The journey up the mountain was more exhausting and treacherous than it was eventful. Mario and Link were impressed that Rosalina had not even complained once, as they were suppressing the urge to themselves. Within a little alcove about sixty percent up the mountain, they decided to take a break. They were gathered around a fire, and Link was cooking up some really spicy steak and rice balls. He encouraged Rosalina to eat, as he could tell the temperatures were getting increasingly lower and it may indeed be necessary for her survival. Somewhat begrudgingly, she ate it. The wind was quite cold at this altitude, so she couldn't help but admit that it made her feel better, as spicy as it was. With full bellies and mouths of fire, they continued the perilous journey until they eventually arrived at the top of the mountain.

Here, the air was thin and the visibility was low. Some trees below appeared as silhouettes through the dense, snowy wind. Mario surveyed the area, despite his lack of visibility. Rosalina didn't seem to care one bit about the scenery, she was instead standing still with her legs together and arms wrapped around herself. Slightly shivering, she wasn't yet in any danger of freezing but she was quite cold. Link didn't seem to mind the temperature, instead moving forward towards a single stone pedestal with a tablet-shaped indentation.

"What is that?" Mario asked, with a curious tilt to his head as he examined the bright orange lights upon the pedestals surface.

"It's a special type of pedestal that interacts with the Sheikah slate." Link answered.

The two of them watched as Link placed the Shiekah Slate within the pedestal. The tablet screen turned on, with the words on the display reading:

 _"Authenticating..."_

With an ominous hum, the pedestal shun from orange to blue. The summit proceeded to rumble, causing the three of them to stumble in place. They each managed to reclaim their balance with some effort, watching in awe as a large stone temple suddenly rose from the surface of the summit.

 **/**

Peach, Luigi, and Daisy were gathered at a table within the food court of the Mushroom City Mall. Luigi was chowing down on a burger, and Daisy doing the same -although with slightly more finesse. Peach had a small salad that she had barely touched.

"See, _*chomp, chomp*_ I told you that guy was a total weirdo." Daisy insulted, munching on the burger with closed eyes for a moment.

"He sure was." Luigi seconded. "He got so mad at me, even though I managed to catch that creepy doll he had."

There was a silence. Daisy set the remainder of her burger down to claim the napkin. She glanced over a Peach. "What's the matter, Peach? Not gonna eat?"

"Oh, umm..." Peach softly started, looking off to the distance with solemn eyes. "I am not very hungry, actually."

" _*chomp*_ Look, you can't spend all day worrying about Mario, Peach." Daisy lectured through her food, small bread crumbs around her lips. She swallowed her mouthful before continuing. "He'll be just fine. You know he always pulls through."

"I just wish I knew what has happened to them." Peach protested, looking downward in sadness. "Also, I have been thinking about what Rosalina had said."

"What Rosalina said?" Luigi questioned, unsure what she meant. "What do you mean?"

"Right before they had disappeared... Do you remember?" Peach reminded, explaining to them what had happened.

 **{** "There is something that I haven't told you guys yet." Rosalina confessed, her expression somber. "But now is a better time than any to mention it... I think."

"What is this you speak of?" Peach persisted, her interest piqued.

"Spill the beans, already!" Daisy encouraged, her interest highly piqued to a point of irritability.

"Well..."

Then, suddenly something very strange had happened, which caused Rosalina to stop short. Exclamation marks had appeared over the heads of everyone as pitch black darkness had formed beneath the feet of Link, Mario, and Rosalina. A blue swirling vortex then appeared within the darkness, and suddenly the three of them began to glimmer with mystic blue light. Everyone was watching the event unfold with dumbstruck awe. **}**

"Ohh, yeah..." Daisy sang, recalling the moment. "She vanished right before she had the chance to tell us."

"I have been thinking about it since." Peach admitted, her expression somber. "What did she mean to tell us?"

"Who knows?" Luigi interjected. He was apparently not very curious about it. "I'm sure that she'll tell us once they come back."

"I suppose." Peach agreed, tentatively. "But I still can not help but dwell on it."

"Come on, eat your salad." Daisy encouraged, nudging it closer to her. "Afterwards lets all go for a ride around town in the great weather! We've got the whole afternoon, after all!"

"Okay!" Luigi agreed, with a cheery fist.

"Hmhm, true." Peach giggled, feeling better. "Thank you both. I feel better already."

 **/**

"A temple appeared." Mario noted, the last remnants of sparkling snow dust falling from the rooftops flat stone edge.

"This is cold and terrible." Rosalina bluntly complained, her voice calm.

"Hahaha!" Link guffawed, marching towards the temples entrance. "Where is your sense of adventure? We haven't even seen whats inside yet!"

Link reached for his sake and realized he had none within these trials. He sighed heavily. "Ahh, right... Pity."

"Your attitude changed quick!" Mario noted, following behind in the middle.

The three of them entered the temple and examined their surroundings with varying levels of awe. Light from the outside stretched onto the flat large sleek black tiles that made up the floor beneath them. The ceilings were endless, and the walls were made of the same stone with the same orange lighting as the pedestal that was used to summon the temple.

 **~ TRIAL 2: A TEMPLE OF FIRE AND ICE ~**

From stone grates along the left and right sides of the temple, massive pillars of flame launched up, raining small balls of fire down onto the tile below. Currently, it was extremely hot within this temple, so hot that Rosalina and Link were losing their strength rapidly. They each had to remove some of the layers from the gear Canuck T. provided them. Link revealed a baby blue coloured potion and passed it to Rosalina, then revealed another for himself.

"Here, Rosalina." Link granted, Rosalina accepting the potion and uncorking it immediately. "It's a chilly potion. Luckily, I had some prepared from our last campfire just in case. It will keep you cool in this heat. It should last quite some time, but I only have one left."

Rosalina and Link drank the chilly potions and were now feeling fine despite the extremely hot temperature within the temple. Mario did not seem the least bit bothered by neither the hot temperature within nor the cold temperature outside. This, of course, was a direct consequence of his Goddess Star ability.

Link was scrolling among the runes located on his Shiekah Slate by swiping his finger along the screens display. He selected the Magnesis rune, which granted him the ability to manipulate metal objects.

He activated it, and proceeded to survey the area. Magnetic fields were visible to him.

"What are you doing?" Mario ventured to ask, watching Link as he stood in a curious stance.

"It's the Magnesis rune." Link explained, surveying the area. "This tablet allows me to manipulate objects made of metal... _Aha! Gotcha!_ "

Link noticed that there was a metal chest hidden within a little alcove directly above the entrance. He used the Magnesis rune to latch onto it, two ropes of bright yellow energy leading from his tablet to the metal chest. Rosalina and Mario watched in awe as Link, like magic, brought the levitating metal chest from above down to his feet. He deactivated Magnesis, put away his Shiekah Slate, and opened the chest.

"Fancy." Mario reckoned, impressed.

From the chest Link removed a single edged sword known as an Eightfold Blade.

"This will suffice." Link thought to himself, now standing up straight with the sword sheathed on his back. "Okay, if intuition serves me, the first thing we should do is try and find a map."

"Maps are always such a pain..." Rosalina complained, looking downward with folded arms, slightly somber. She weakly raised a finger in declaration. "For now own, when I play video games, I swear to never bother to use a map when I'm in a dungeon!"

"Find a map. Got it!" Mario agreed, with enthusiasm.

Immediately after Mario had said that, a strange creature appeared from thin air with a magical poof. He had goggly cockeyed eyes with big blue lips, its straw-like hair blue as well. It wore a tattered and stained dirty jacket, as well as a purple limp witch hat and big shiny red boots. It also wore socks with black and white stripes that went all the way up to its knees.

Mario, Link, and Rosalina barely had the time to process what was happening before the strange, levitating creature up above had removed from within the old sack that it was carrying a mushroom with a blue cap and red spots.

"Huhuhu~" The creature giggled, gently tossing the mushroom up above Link.

Link watched in surprised awe as the sparkling mushroom glistened during its descent. It landed on his head.

"Huh?" Link barked. His eyes widened as he suddenly felt a painful sensation. The mushroom had already rooted itself onto his head. "Urk!"

"Huhuhu~" The creature giggled, disappearing into thin air with a magical poof.

"What?" Rosalina questioned, unsure of what just happened.

"Qu'est-ce qui vient de se passer?" Link asked in a French accent, equally confused.

"Huh? What did you just say?" Mario barked. "Speak English!"

Link opened his mouth, but no words came out. "Eh? Je ne peux pas! Je ne parle peux pas anglais!"

"What is going on with you?" Mario barked, both irritated and deeply confused.

"He is saying that he can't speak English." Rosalina translated.

"Oui!" Link confirmed, relieved that he could be understood.

"Wait, you can understand him?" Mario barked, impressed as much as he was stunned.

"I guess." Rosalina confirmed, not understanding the significance.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Mario grinned. "So I guess you can still understand English, you just can't speak it, right?"

"Oui." Link confirmed, nodding.

"That means _yes_." Rosalina translated, hand on her hip with a raised finger of pride.

"I figured that much from the nod." Mario defended, non-combatively.

Link tried to remove the mushroom from his brain, but even the slightest tug brought upon immense pain. "Aie, aie... Je ne peux pas l'enlever. Cela doit etre enracine dans mon cerveau."

"He's saying he thinks that the mushroom is attached to his brain." Rosalina translated.

"So you're stuck talking like that?" Mario barked, irritated.

"Je ne sais pas!" Link shrugged, obviously not thrilled about the situation either.

"Cut it off with that sword or something." Mario suggested, pointing to the blade on his back. Flames erupted from the pillars in the background.

"Non, ca ne marchera pas. Les racines sont susceptibles dans mon cerveau. Il va juste repousser." Link declined. "Je peux cuisiner quelque chose qui devrait etre capable de le réparer, avec les bons ingredients."

"Translation please?" Mario beckoned to Rosalina, utterly lost.

"Umm... he says if he tries to cut it off it will probably just grow back since its rooted in his brain." Rosalina explained, not making eye contact with folded arms. "He should be able to cook up something that can cure it if he can find the proper ingredients."

"Alright." Mario acknowledged, turning away from them and instead facing towards the heart of the temple. "Well, at least we can still communicate. Thankfully you understand language. Ha! Bet that dumb goggly-eyed weirdo didn't see that coming!"

As if right on cue, the strange creature reappeared with a magical poof. It reached in its bag from another mushroom. This time it was yellow with red spots.

"Huhuhu~" The creature giggled, releasing it from its hand.

"Rosalina!" Mario warned, his eyes wide and right arm stretched out before him.

But Rosalina was too slow to react, and the mushroom proceeded to fall with a glistening sparkle onto her head. She winced in pain with a soft yelp as the mushroom rooted itself into her head.

"Huhuhu~" The creature giggled, disappearing into thin air with a magical poof.

"Oh, no!" Mario cried, slumping in despair. He turned to Rosalina, morose. "Let me guess... you can't speak English?"

"N-No, señor..." Rosalina shyly informed in a Spanish accent, looking downward with a soft blush.

"Talk about troublesome... How are we supposed to communicate now?" Mario sighed, hopeless.

"Je pourrais dessiner des images?" Link suggested, pointing at his Shiekah Slate.

"El sugiere que podamos comunicarnos con usted usando imágenes." Rosalina translated.

"I CAN'T UNDERSTAND EITHER OF YOU!" Mario scolded in a comedic fashion, his teeth sharp.

"Geez, how annoying." Mario sighed, marching deeper into the main level of the temple. "As soon as I catch that little goggly-eyed runt, I'm gonna roast him!"

Then, there was a sudden loud explosion far north in the temple. Within this room on the second level, the wall had been blasted out of position, red hot stones flying down into the lower main level with harsh impact. From within the smoke using its long, mechanical white legs with white feet crawled in a strange mechanical creature. Technical sounds accompanied its movement, and it appeared to be made of ancient materials. It was a Guardian.

The Guardian surveyed the area with a single blue eye. Mario looked at the creature in stunned awe, his mouth hung open. In the reflection of Mario's eyes, it could be seen that the Guardians single eye had turned a deep red and was marching towards him.


	14. Chapter 14: The Second Trial, Part 3

**Chapter 14:** The Second Trial, Part III: A Temple of Fire and Ice, Part II

Peach, Daisy, and Luigi had finally completed their day at the Mushroom City Mall. Peach and Daisy had managed to set up cell phone plans for themselves, Luigi, Mario, Toadsworth, Link, and Rosalina. Since the bills associated with each device would be charged to Princess Peach, members included in the plan that were not being charged did not need to be present for activation.

Peach was apprehensive about the idea of granting Toadsworth a cell phone, for obvious reasons. In the end, she had decided that it would be in her best interest to have the ability to ease his anxiety with a single text message, even if it did grant him the ability to bombard her with text messages. She did also of course feel that it would be harsh to not give him a cell phone, even though he was originally quite critical of the idea.

Daisy, Peach, and Luigi were standing outside of the mall alongside their respective parked vespas.

"Phew! I'm beat." Daisy sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow with her wrist, since both hands were holding shopping bags. "I'm always so surprised by how tired shopping makes me."

"Is that so, Daisy?" Peach recognized, turning to her friend. She giggled softly. "Hmhmhm~, not me. I can not seem to get enough of it!"

"That's for sure!" Daisy concurred, orange hash lines of enthusiasm blinking by her head. "You're the shopping pro! I don't know how you do it!"

"Yes, well." Peach started, slightly raising one of the bunches of shopping bags she was holding. "I do hope Rosalina enjoys the clothes that I have bought for her..."

"Knowing Rosalina, she'll make some sort of complaint but accept them anyway." Daisy hypothesized, looking slightly downward. She looked up and faced her friends. "Anyway, are you guys ready to go for a ride around town, or what?!"

"Yeah, about that..." Luigi started, rubbing the back of his head. He was somewhat somber.

"What is it, Luigi?" Peach asked, a stationary pink question mark above her head. It slowly faded out of existence, the two girls facing him now.

"I know that I said I would go and ride around town with you guys, but..." Luigi paused briefly, sitting on his bike. "There's something else that I would like to do now, instead."

"Really? But what else could you possibly be wanting to do?" Daisy inquired, her arms folded.

"Uhh, I'll explain later." Luigi dodged, not making eye contact as a blue sweat drop sank behind his head. He started up his vespa. "I'll catch up with you guys, okay? L-Later!"

"Okay Luigi." Peach softly smiled. "Goodbye, and drive safely!"

"Hey!" Daisy barked, watching as Luigi drove off with her fists against her hips. Peach waved happily to their fleeing friend, her eyes closed. "What's his deal?"

"I am sure he has his reasons, Daisy." Peach assured, turning to face Daisy. "Let us leave him be."

"Well, whatever." Daisy surrendered, not really understanding his behaviour. As nosy as she was to understand, curiously enough she was as equally willing to forget about it. "Let's go, Peach! It's so nice out, I wanna ride around!"

"Hmhmhm~..." Peach softly giggled. "Well alright then."

 **/**

Back within the temple, the Guardian was surveying the area with a single blue eye. Mario looked at the creature in stunned awe, his mouth hung open. In the reflection of Mario's eyes, it could be seen that the Guardians single eye suddenly had turned a deep red, and was now marching towards him. Link was overwhelmed with a sudden sense of dismay.

"Oh non, un Gardien!" Link firmly announced, his eyes narrowing.

"Un Guardian?" Rosalina acknowledged, averting her attention from the curious creature to Link.

Using its long mechanical white legs, it climbed down the wall from the second level to the main level where Mario, Link, and Rosalina were located.

"Rapidement!" Link ordered while vigorously waving his hand to follow, rushing into a doorless corridor located on the right side of the lower level.

Rosalina, still able to understand French but not speak it, followed Link into the room. She turned towards Mario, who was still gawking at the incoming creature. "Mario!"

A red laser was focused on Mario's face, the guardian rapidly approaching with its sights on the flabbergasted hero. He snapped out of it as he heard his name from within the open corridor to his right. He turned and saw Rosalina waving him to follow as she ran into the corridor.

The Guardian was now on ground level, about 50 meters away from Mario. The beeping associated with its targeting system was now occurring at increased intervals, which indicated that it was about to fire.

Time appeared to be in slow motion as Mario started to run towards Rosalina and Link, the red dot slowly trailing off of his face. The eye of the guardian lit up in a blinding flash, from which a blue laser was fired at lightning speed. While running, the blue laser zipped right past Mario's head. It in fact grazed his fleeing cheek, which caused a perfectly straight, ultra thin cut to appear. Mario's eyes widened as he noticed that some blood had been drawn.

An explosion occurred on the back wall to the left of the main entrance, which caused time to be smacked back into normal speed. By the skin of his teeth, Mario continued to run away from the Guardian practically unscathed.

(An explosion?) Mario thought to himself while looking over his shoulder, discovering the nature of the Guardians attack. He faced back forward and continued to run down the open corridor that Rosalina and Link had escaped too.

As soon as he arrived in the room at the end of the corridor, he noticed that both Rosalina and Link had their backs flat against the walls that bordered the doorless entrance to the room. Rosalina was on the left, Link to the right. Mario joined Rosalina's side.

"Mario!" Link exclaimed, relieved to see he made it.

"What the heck is _that?!_ " Mario cried.

"Un Gardien." Link informed. "Je les ai rencontres a Hyrule."

"Well, I understand the Hyrule part." Mario replied, catching his breath. "I take it you know its weakness?"

"Oui." Link nodded. He then pointed to his eye.

"The eye, huh?" Mario gathered, with a grin. "Gotcha. I'll go kick its ass right now then!"

"Non, non!" Link declined, signalling no with both hands. "C'est impossible. Nous n'avons pas les moyens de la vaincre."

Mario turned to Rosalina, hoping for some sort of translation. Knowing that she could not speak Spanish to Mario, she paused for a moment. She then punched her open palm twice, then signalled no with both hands. She then slid a finger across her neck to signal death.

Mario peeked down the hallway, and saw the Guardian was on patrol. It then stopped in place, surveyed its surroundings for a brief moment, then continued to march forward. Detecting no threat, its lights were blue.

"Well, what exactly do you suppose we do then?" Mario challenged, unimpressed.

"Hmm..." Link paused, taking a moment to think.

Only then did it occur to the three of them to take a moment to survey their surroundings. They were in a new room now, but it was rather plain. Hexagonal in shape, it had a very tall ceiling with a square vent in the centre of the floor. The vent was currently inactive. Most importantly though, there was something sleeping on the vent which almost covered it entirely.

The massive creature could be described as a hybrid of an ogre and a cyclops. Snoring soundly while on its back, its rough skin was mostly blue. It was two-toed, with gnarly off-white nails on its toes and fingers. It had a single horn on its head, and long white hair that cradled its face but failed to conceal its large, pointy ears.

"C'est un Hinox!" Link informed, in a harsh whisper. _"Shhhhhh!"_

"Un Hinox?" Rosalina barked.

 _"Shhh!"_ Link hissed, finger over his mouth.

"A Hinox, huh... That thing looks tough." Mario thought to himself in a whisper. "But if we start to fight it, I'll bet we'll attract that Guardian over there."

Link nodded in agreement. After seeing this, Mario averted his attention from Link and looked down at the floor. A single bead of sweat went down the side of his head, mildly stinging his laser cut.

"Puedo sentirme cada vez mas caliente." Rosalina complained, fanning herself with her hands.

"Nous n'avons pas beaucoup de temps..." Link thought to himself, his eyes narrowing in thought.

(Think...) Mario thought to himself, feeling the pressure. He closed his eyes harshly. They opened in realization. "That's it!"

Rosalina and Link turned to Mario, anticipating his next words.

"The explosion!" Mario recalled, his voice loud. "That Guardians attack causes explosions. With my Fire Star, I should be able to use that explosion to my advantage. Just like with the Stone Talus!"

Links eyes widened as he recalled the battle.

 **{** "Catch, jump, and don't be alarmed!" Link ordered, tossing the blue square bomb at Mario. Mario indeed caught it, and then he jumped. Link raised his Shiekah Slate, and the bomb detonated while the midair Mario was holding it.

"WHOA!" Mario cried, as his form absorbed the explosion without an issue. His belly was now fat, and the updraft from the explosion sent his balloon-like form slowly soaring higher. The grass was on fire below, which helped preserve an updraft which was keeping balloon Mario afloat. **}**

"I'll use the explosion power myself up, just like last time." Mario grinned while in a fighting stance, his fists clenched with confidence. "And I'll beat that thing. You just watch!"

"Gruh?" The Hinox barked, opening its single eye. The eye was a deep orange with a blue pupil, the white of the eyes tainted with a sickly yellow colour.

"Le Hinox!" Link barked, alarmed that it had woken up. He waved an arm to Mario signalling him to go. "Rapidement!"

Mario gave a weak nod of uncertainty, but regardless he proceeded to run down the open corridor back to the main area of the Temple.

"Hace calor..." Rosalina complained, fanning herself. She was exhausted and sweaty.

Link, still fine, got the message and quickly tossed Rosalina the last Chilly Potion he had. She had barely caught it, fumbling it like a football and almost wasting it. She did not seem to be bothered by the rising Hinox before them as she uncorked the Chilly Potion and drank it.

Link was facing the now upright Hinox, his left hand grasping the hilt of the Eightfold blade that was sheathed on his back. He raised it a few inches, the blades steel gleaming.

(Mario...) Link thought to himself, his expression full of resignation.

Mario was running down the open corridor, back towards the patrolling guardian with an expression of upmost determination.

(Don't die.) Link concluded with closed eyes, his teeth clenched.

 **/**

"Hey! Guardian!" Mario barked, racing lines accompanying his determined expression as he ran full speed towards the main entrance.

The Guardian behind him stopped in place and proceeded to survey the area. As it detected Mario, its blue eye went red. With its long mechanical legs, it proceeded to run towards Mario. It had its red laser sights focusing on the back of Mario's fleeing head.

Arriving at a wall, Mario turned around with a grunt. The temple entrance was just to his left. His teeth were clenched as he kept his focus, the laser dot hovering between his eyes.

"You're not so tough..." Mario thought out loud, eyebrows harsh. The speed of the beeping increased, as the guardian was about to fire. Mario closed his eyes.

A blinding flash emerged from the eye of the guardian as it launched its laser attack. Time appeared to be in slow motion as Mario performed a backflip at the perfect moment. His body arced backwards, dodging the laser below that was determined to slice right through him at lightning speed. The projectile zoomed into the wall behind the backflipping Mario, exploding on impact. Mario was close enough to the explosion that it submerged him completely. For the moment, the relentless Guardian could not detect Mario through the fire and smoke, and so could not yet focused its sights on him once again.

Just like the last time Mario absorbed an explosion, his body inflated such that he appeared rounded like a balloon. This time however, as he redistributed the obtained fire, he did not use them to make his arms bigger. Instead, he redistributed the fire such that it was spread out equally all throughout him. The effect was that Mario appeared to be his normal size, except now he was surrounded by an aura of fire. This is to be defined as Mario's _"charged"_ state. The more _"charged"_ Mario is with fire, that is to say, the more fire he absorbs, the bigger and hotter the flames burn around him.

Now charged, Mario stood there with orange flames burning around him. The Guardian could now detect him, and proceeded to focus another laser on him. Mario brought his hands together, and a ball of fire formed between the palms. He brought his wrists together as he thrusted his arms forward, his knuckles from each hand facing to the left and right.

 **"SUPER FIRE BLAST!"** Mario cried, unleashing a devastating fire blast that was bright red in colour.

This fire blast was twice as powerful as the fire blast that Mario had used against Bowser, back when his Goddess Power first awakened. The Guardian was completely submerged within the massive fire blast that had sliced through the air towards it at a tremendous velocity. The sight focused on Mario disappeared as the Guardian could no longer target him. Mario stood there in position as he continued unleashing the powerful attack. After a few more seconds, the attack had concluded.

The Guardian now stood farther back, completely unharmed as it surveyed the area with a calm blue light in its eyes. The force of the attack had caused it to be pushed quite a bit backwards, but left it unscathed.

"What?!" Mario barked, shocked that his attack had no effect. His widened eyes of surprise narrowed in determination once again. "Heh, so fire attacks won't work on you, huh?"

Detecting Mario once again, it's eye turned bright red as it marched towards Mario with its long mechanical legs.

 **/**

"Reculer!" Link warned, knowing Rosalina could understand him.

Back in the hexagonal shaped room with the blue Hinox, Rosalina was keeping off to the sidelines in hopes that she would not capture its attention. Link was facing it head on, Rosalina watching with some angst as the Hinox went to grab him with a vicious arm swing that pierced the air.

"Ah!" Rosalina barked, covering her eyes for a brief moment.

She eventually peeked to see that Link was fine, dashing between the legs of the massive creature with the Eightfold blade in his left hand. The Hinox was disorientated, unsure of where Link had went. Link turned and directed his attention to the back of the Hinoxs large belt made from animal hides. His eyes narrowed in determination as he noticed there was a wooden soldiers bow hanging there, as well as a quiver with some arrows.

(Just as I'd thought.) Link thought with a grin, making a break for the equipment.

Using his sword, he cut the wooden rope that was attaching the Bow to the belt. It fell to the ground.

"Roo?" The Hinox growled, its large discoloured eye blinking twice as it focused on Rosalina.

Link claimed the bow.

"U-Uh, Link?" Rosalina summoned, realizing she had been spotted.

Link said nothing, using his sword to cut the quiver free. He claimed the arrows just before the Hinox proceeded to take a large stomp forward.

"U-Uh, L-Link?" Rosalina beckoned, now smothered in shadow.

Backed up against the wall, Rosalina's legs were frozen with fear. She couldn't run. She simply stared, shielding herself with her quaking arms and flinching as the Hinox charged up a fist.

 **/**

"A-wa-wa-wa-wah-wah-wah!" Mario cried, sprinting forward so fast he almost fell flat onto his face. He used one hand to push himself back up, and the other to adjust his hat which had nearly fallen off of his head from the force of the explosion behind him.

The Guardian had missed once again, but was pursuing him relentlessly with its indefatigable mechanical legs. Already the Guardian had its sights on Mario's back, the red laser dot steady on his shoulders. While running, Mario partially turned his face to see that the Guardian was indeed pursuing him.

"I can't run forever... I gotta think of something, quick!" Mario thought to himself, surveying the area with angst. His eyes widened as the flaming pillars caught his attention. _"That's it!"_

 **/**

Racing lines accompanied the fist of the Hinox as it soared towards Rosalina. Then suddenly, sharp, distinct whistling of a certain melody could be heard from behind. The Hinox paused its fist mere inches before Rosalina, who stood there cowering behind her frail arms.

"Roo?" The Hinox barked. This type of whistle apparently attracted a Hinox, which Link had discovered during his adventures in Hyrule.

With its single big eye, the Hinox saw only one thing: Link holding its bow with an arrow at the ready. Link launched the arrow at its eye with deadly accuracy. The Hinox experienced an overwhelming, flooding sensation of pain. Holding onto its eye, it started to stumble backwards.

"Je demenagerais si j'etais toi." Link calmly warned.

"Eh?" Rosalina softly barked, opening her eyes and looking up. She lowered her arms, and saw the Hinox was stumbling backwards, about to fall on her. Coming back to her senses, she dashed to her right.

The Hinox crashed down onto its rear, Rosalina managing to escape being caught beneath its descent. Breathing heavily, she stepped backwards and away from it, a ring of dust and smoke launching from the impact point.

 **/**

The beeping rate of the Guardians attack increased. Mario made a dive for the nearby fire pillar, which caused the Guardian to lose sight of its target. It approached the base of the flame pillar, investigating thoroughly for any sign of Mario. However, its efforts were fruitless. Its lights returned to a serene blue, and the relentless killing machine continued to scout the area for any other signs of life.

Within the fire pillar were little wisps of motion, climbing and spiralling upwards towards the ceiling. These wisps were in fact, Mario. Utilizing the power of the Fire Star, Mario had the ability to swim through channels of fire by becoming one with them. The phenomenon was somewhat akin to salmon swimming up a waterfall. With this clever maneuver, Mario was able to get above the top floor of the Temple of Fire and Ice, disembarking on what appeared to be a steel grate.

The steel grate was even higher than the highest floor (which was the third floor) of the Temple of Fire and Ice. This large, steel grate essentially took the shaped of a semi squashed X, with a hole where the lines intersect. The radius diameter of the whole was small enough to still access each part of the X without needing to jump over it. The X shaped steel grate was as large as the main floor itself. Each of the four fire pillars at ground level launched flames up to the four points of the X shaped steel grate at regular intervals.

In the absent centre of the steel grate was a stone pillar that peaked down through the darkness from the above ceiling. Attached to the bottom of this stone pillar, was a glowing red diamond. It appeared to be a mechanism of sorts. Mario, now all charged up from the ride up the flame pillar, looked down at the patrolling guardian from above. Orange flames burned all around him.

"Alright." Mario grinned, cracking his knuckles. "This time, I'm gonna take you out."

 **/**

Link proceeded to dash towards the downed Hinox, which has holding its eye in agony. Link then jumped high enough to land boots first onto the belly of the Hinox, squatting down as he landed. Link then launched himself up in an flash, and time appeared to be in slow motion as Link removed the eightfold blade from the sheath on his back. At the same time, the Hinox was removing its hands from its eye, its mouth gapping wide from the sight of the soaring hero.

 **/**

Mario had some angst in his step as he danced at the edge of the steel grate while looking down at the main floor. Watching the movements of the Guardian, he was anticipating an exact moment. When it had finally arrived, he jumped off of the steel grate and initiated his descent towards the main level far below. Oranges flames flickered vigorously around his body as he descended.

 **/**

Time resumed speed as Link stabbed the Eightfold blade into the eye of the Hinox. Link removed both of his hands from the hilt of the now submerged blade and then performed a backflip to escape from the imminent flails of the large Hinox. Rosalina watched in awe as Link flipped through the air and landed on his feet.

Standing up straight with his shoulders back, he watched the Hinox flail weaker and weaker. Eventually, the arms of the Hinox fell limp to its sides, the large beast falling to its knees. Its entire form was devoid of light as it faced the heavens. The defeated Hinox then disintegrated before their very eyes.

 **/**

The flames surrounding him disappeared as Mario, in midair, concentrated the fire to his right leg. Filled with burning fire, his right leg and foot inflated into a giant size.

 _ **"GIANT,"**_ Mario cried, racing lines accompanying his intense expression as he accelerated downward.

Submerged in shadow, the Guardian stopped its patrol and surveyed upward with its blue eye of light. Its eye turned red as it examined the impending massive boot up above.

The scene was completely dark, but the sounds of technical crushing and flying sparks could be heard. _**"STOMP!"**_


	15. Chapter 15: The Second Trial, Part 4

**Chapter 15:** The Second Trial, Part IV: A Temple of Fire and Ice, Part III

 **~ The Temple of Fire and Ice ~**

The surrounding flames disappeared as Mario, in midair, concentrated the fire to his right leg. Filled with burning fire, his right leg and foot inflated into a giant size.

 _ **"GIANT,"**_ Mario cried, racing lines accompanying his intense expression as he accelerated downward.

Submerged in shadow, the Guardian stopped its patrol and surveyed upward with its blue eye of light. Its eye turned red as it examined the impending massive boot up above. Mario's massive boot crushed down onto the Guardian, which caused its white mechanical legs to buckle.

 _ **"STOMP!"**_ Mario cried, his giant foot stomping down onto the Guardian.

The white mechanical legs snapped off of the Guardian as its bottom made contact with the ground, sparks dancing from the break points. Mario featured sweat on his forehead and uncertainty in his eyes as he struggled to contain the fire within his inflated right leg. He recalled what had happened during his earlier fight with the two Stone Talus.

 **{** With clenched teeth and an epic expression, Mario aimed his giant fists towards each Stone Talus, prepared to crush them both into bits. Racing lines accented the giant fists as they went towards their targets.

 _ **"GIANT DOUBLE CRUSHER!"**_

Despite a heroic attempt, the attack did not go quite as planned. The giant fists couldn't contain the fire inside any longer, and instead, two massive energetic fire blasts launched out of his fists and towards the two Stone Talus as the giant fists lost their shape. This caused Mario to recoil and fly back in midair. **}**

"Focus, focus!" Mario cried out loud, his teeth clenched as he struggled during the giant stomp attack.

However, he could only hold the flames within him for so long, as the pressure generated from the crushing had increased too greatly. His right leg burst into flames with a bang, a fire blast launching from his sole as he recoiled. His leg decreased in size as it released more fire and as he flew farther back in recoil.

Mario, after flying through the room like a rocket, had landed on his back quite a ways away from where he had attempted to stomp the guardian. He caught his breath for a moment, facing upwards with closed eyes and weak arms. He had a severe muscle spasm in his right leg, which rendered it unusable.

"D-Dammit..." Mario cursed, anger in his tone as he clasped his right thigh with both hands. "I still can't control that attack."

Then, the beeping sounds associated with the Guardians targeting system were present. Marios eyes opened wide in horror, his face a pale blue. He lifted himself up off of the ground to see that he did not manage to destroy the Guardian. Instead, he had only managed to break off its legs. Although it was now stationary, it could still survey the area and launch lasers from its position.

(I didn't beat it?) Mario gawked, filled with great dismay.

He quickly realized that that was the least of his concerns. Mario could not run at the moment, and the Guardian was preparing to fire at him.

 **/**

It was now evening. Back in Mushroom City, Luigi had taken a right hand turn at an intersection, and, with a left hand turn partway down the street, he had arrived in a large parking lot. He drove into a narrow, angled parking spot designated for bikes near the front of the building. Leaving his Vespa in idle, he stared partially downward in a deep thought.

 **{** "Oh no you don't!" Bowser dismissed, charging towards them.

Then, Luigi slid into view from the right. He looked ready to fight. This caused Bowser to stop into place with surprise. "Huh? _You?!_ "

"That's right, me!" Luigi replied, pointing a thumb to himself. His legs started quaking again. Regrettably, he pounded at them with his fists. "Dammit, don't do that! I'm trying to be cool!"

"BWAH HA HA HA!" Bowser loudly laughed, a happy smile on his face. "You think you can stop me? Oh, now that's rich! Well, come on! Bring it on, baby! Hit me with your best shot!"

"You asked for it!" Luigi smirked, charging at full speed, a fist charged back. "HYAAAAAAH!"

"HA!" Luigi cried, smashing his fist right into Bowser's stomach with all his might. Bowser didn't even flinch, he simply stood there with Luigi's fist against his stomach.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Luigi cried, backing off while whipping his hand in pain. **}**

"I'm weak." Luigi said out loud, still looking downward in thought.

 **{** "Go, Luigi." Peach ordered. "I will be with you shortly."

Luigi hesitated, his teeth clenched. Regrettably, he started to run for the castle. He closed his eyes and sprinted, and Kammy Koopa watched from above with interest. "Hm? What's this now? Running away?"

She then turned and noticed Peach was walking up to Frog Daisy, her back exposed. "Oh, no you don't!"

Before Frog Daisy could even hop onto Peachs hands, she had been struck by the magical attack from behind. She cried out.

Luigi gasped, his eyes widening. He turned around and saw Peach was irradiated with light, her eyes closed.

"PEACH!" Luigi cried, tears in his eyes.

"L-Luigi, r-run!" Peach begged, before she proceeded to transform.

"NYEAH HEH HEH!" Kammy Koopa cackled, flying down to the helpless Princess with a cage. Peach attempted to flee in her smaller form, but was claimed with little effort. Kammy Koopa eagerly stuffed her into the cage. "That makes two. That's all folks! Lord Bowser will be so pleased! Off I go!"

 **"WAIT!"**

"Hmm?" Kammy Koopa barked, nibbling on a gnarled tooth. She was hovering in the air once again, the caged, transformed girls on her person. She looked at the hero in green, who seemed furious as he stood there with clenched fists and teary eyes.

"Oh, it's just you." Kammy Koopa retorted. "Shouldn't you be running away?"

"Give me back my friends." Luigi ordered, wiping his tears with a gloved fist. His expression was serious. His usual cowardice, non-existent.

"And just what are _you_ gonna do, exactly?" Kammy Koopa challenged, remaining calm. "Peach is right, you know. You should just go and get help. Leave it to Mario to do all the work. You, obviously, are incapable."

Luigi grit his teeth with anger. Kammy Koopa's mocking had gotten the best of him, much to Peach's dismay. Luigi proceeded to charge at full speed towards Kammy Koopa, an impressive speed at that. "I said, GIVE ME BACK MY FRIENDS!"

Luigi then shot high into the air, getting ready to perform a wicked roundhouse to the hovering Magikoopa. It would have done an impressive amount of damage, but all Kammy Koopa had to do was simply lift herself a little higher. She near effortlessly dodged the attack, Luigi proceeding to fall back down. Kammy Koopa raised her magical wand, geometric shapes gathering around the ruby embedded on its tip.

"You're wide open!" She cried, launching her attack.

Luigi's eyes were concealed in the shadow of his cap, his expression full of despair as he fell back down, defenseless. He was struck with the magical attack, his form irradiated with light. He had been defeated. **}**

"And I'm... of no real use to anybody." Luigi continued, his tone devoid of emotion. He was shaking a little

 **{** Luigi was lying in his bed, looking up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. He was still clothed, and was on top of the blankets. The room was dark, and his expression was serious as he reflected on what had happened earlier.

(I'm too weak...) Luigi thought to himself, his eyes narrowing. He couldn't stop the tears of frustration that followed. He placed a gloved hand over his eyes. "Sniffle... dammit."

"I... I want to be more useful to everyone." Luigi thought aloud, clenching a fist with teary eyes. "I want to be able to protect them! _But what can I do?!_ " **}**

"And that's why..." Luigi started, eyes concealed in the shadow of his cap. He shot a glance, his eyes and face brimming with determination.

"I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" Luigi cried with clenched fists, racing lines accompanying his determination.

He removed the keys from his Vespa, the engine no longer idling. He tossed a duffle bag over his shoulder, and proceeded to march towards the building. He was standing up straight, brimming with confidence. The building he was marching towards featured massive bold letters: MUSHPLEX. It was the best sports complex in all of Mushroom City.

"No more excuses! No more complaining!" Luigi promised, approaching the gymnasium. He stopped just before the doors, a single fist clenched in determination. His eyes trembled weakly with hope, a toothless smile on his face. "I'm going to turn myself into someone that I can be proud of!"

Brimming with determination, Luigi marched into the gym to begin what he was anticipating would be a major transformation.

 **/**

Mario shot a glance at the nearby fire pillar, and proceeded to drag himself towards it using his hands. He could not stand up and walk at the moment, his right leg completely unusable from his previous attack. A little farther. The Guardian kept its red laser hovering over his crawling form. _Just a little more_. The beeping associated with the guardians target system increased rapidly.

Mario winced harshly. He knew that he wouldn't be able to make it to the fire pillar before the Guardian would fire. (S-Sorry guys...)

A familiar hand had already readied an arrow, launching it with a satisfying air slicing whistle. The eye of the Guardian was glowing brightly, but just before it had the chance to fire at Mario it was struck with an arrow.

Link was standing there, his posture weak. He was about to fall over, but Rosalina had caught him and helped him remain upright. His Soldiers Bow rested at his side, weakly clasped in his hand. His eyes were concealed in shadow as he looked downward in complete fatigue.

"Link!" Rosalina summoned, unsure what was wrong with him. Her eyes widened with a slight gasp as she saw he was rather sweaty, gasping for air.

(The potion wore off?) She thought to herself, her eyes weakly trembling.

Mario heard that the beeping had stopped, his eyes opening with a mild bark of surprise. He turned to see the disoriented Guardian, as well as Rosalina and Link.

"Oh, guys!" Mario called from afar, his prone figure in the background blurry and waving a hand of gratitude. Unlike their cheery companion, Link and Rosalina were more grim. "You saved me! Thanks a bunch!"

The stationary Guardian proceeded to target Link. Rosalina got the message, and proceeded to walk back with Link into the corridor, back towards the room where they had defeated the Hinox. Mario took this opportunity to crawl into the fire pillar before him. Rosalina and Link made it around the corner with no real trouble, the stationary Guardian ceasing to target them.

Rosalina guided Link to a sit against the passage wall, Link breathing heavily with a sweaty forehead and closed eyes. He was wearing a shirt as well as the snow pants and boots, but removing them would not help enough. He needed some sort of cooling remedy.

"No te ves tan bien!" Rosalina noted, rubbing her arm in shy uncertainty. Link could not understand. He did not speak, instead he concentrated on his breathing.

Little wisps of motion indicated Mario was travelling up the fire pillar. He arrived at the large steel grate above once again, his leg completely restored and body fully charged with fire as he landed feet first with squatted legs and clenched fists.

"Alright!" Mario cheered, a happy smile on his face. "That's much better."

He started to walk on the grate, looking down at the main floor far below. "But that was too close! I sure owe them one!"

Mario looked down at the stationary Guardian far below, standing on the edge of the grate once again. He recalled how his attack went the last time, rubbing his chin in uncertainty. He decided that it would not be a good idea to try and attack it again. He instead proceeded to survey the area. He directed his attention to the absent centre of the steel grate with the stone pillar that peaked down through the darkness from above. Attached to the bottom of this stone pillar was a glowing red diamond.

"What's that?" Mario thought out loud. He instinctively launched a fire ball from his palm, watching as it danced across the steel grate. It eventually struck the red diamond, turning it into a vibrant blue. To Mario, the only obvious change was that the fire pillars were no longer present.

Link and Rosalina however, noticed that the temperature had decreased dramatically, almost matching that of the mountain summit outside. This caused the mushrooms attached to their heads to wither and die almost immediately.

"H-H-Haaa! I-I-It's cold!" Rosalina whined, her breath icy.

"Y-You spoke english!" Link noticed, bringing himself to a stand. His eyes were bright with surprise. "I spoke english!"

Rosalina put her coat and gloves back on, which were sufficient enough to keep her warm within the icy temple.

"Those Mushrooms that were placed on our heads must not be able to handle cold temperatures..." Link decided, feeling the top of his head. He started to feel the cold biting at him.

"Maybe Mario did something to make it all frosty?" Rosalina thought with a finger on her chin, blue question mark weakly wobbling above her head before fading out of existence.

"Yes, that is most likely the case." Link agreed, putting on his second glove. The two of them were bundled up and prepared for the cold.

Vigorous splashes of hot water were launching from the same vents that the flames were previously launching from.

"Well this sucks." Mario complained, looking around and seeing he had no way down. His body was still burning with flames. "I think I'll hit that switch again..."

Then, in the shape of a massive pillar, water raced towards the ceilings the same way the fire had.

"WHOA!" Mario cried, jumping back with a shielding arm and widened eyes of surprise. "What the heck!"

"HEY, MARIO!"

"Huh?" Mario softly barked. He directed his attention towards the voice. It was Link, who was standing at the end of the corridor, looking up at him. "It's Link!"

"HEY, LINK!" Mario yelled back, hand by his face. "YOU CAN SPEAK ENGLISH AGAIN!"

"I SURE CAN!" Link called back, animated black hash lines blinking above his tiny form down below. "HEY, I NEED YOU TO LISTEN TO ME FOR A SECOND!"

They proceeded to have an exchange:

"WHAT IS IT?"

"SOMEHOW YOU MADE IT COLD IN HERE!"

"YEAH, I HIT A SWITCH!"

"OH, OKAY! WELL I NEED YOU TO LEAVE THINGS THIS WAY FOR NOW! WE CAN'T SURVIVE THE HEAT!"

"Oh... w-WELL OKAY! BUT HOW DO I GET DOWN?"

"LEAVE IT TO ME!" Link assured, revealing his Sheikah Slate.

"Oh? Are you gonna do something new with that thing?" Rosalina questioned, apparently curious.

"Indeed." Link assured, his eyes focused on the pillar of water.

"What's he doing?" Mario thought to himself, scratching the back of his head.

Link watched the way the water pillar worked. Rather than stopping abruptly, the height of the pillar upon descent decreased incrementally, eventually ending up only waist high. Despite this dramatic decrease in height, the water still contained the same amount of pressure as when the pillar is fully erect. It would then ascend once again.

With his Sheikah Slate, Link took aim at the base of the small pillar.

 _ **"Cryonis!"**_ Link cried, his expression determined.

A block of ice formed on top of the pillar, rocking gently but relatively secured in place.

"You can freeze water with that thing too?" Rosalina calmly awed, somewhat impressed.

"That's right." Link nodded. "Mario should be able to use this to get back down."

Indeed, the water pillar proceeded to rise incrementally. The ice block Link had created remained relatively stable during its ascent. Mario watched with awe as eventually the ice block was positioned right before him, just beyond the lip of the steel grate. Without instruction, he climbed on top of it, his body still charged and flaming.

"Neat!" Mario smiled, not at all nervous about falling on his way down.

Then, the water pillar started to descend slowly once again. All bundled up and safe from the cold, Rosalina and Link waited at the start of the corridor. They were out of sight from the stationary guardian.

"Oh?" Mario barked, as he noticed that the ice block beneath him was getting smaller quite rapidly. He started to panic a bit, lifting one flaming foot off of the block and struggling to balance on the bumpy descend.

"Aiy-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Mario panicked, arms swinging as he struggled to keep balance, only the toes of his right boot touching the melting block now.

"Is he gonna make it?" Rosalina sighed, seeming exhausted just by watching him.

"Almost there." Link thought out loud, watching Mario in calm suspense.

Mario was then within safe jumping distance from the ground level, the ice block underneath his toes practically the size of his head. He leapt off of the ice block, which melted completely upon his departure. He landed on the ground level with a single glove against the floor, still charged with flames and unharmed.

"You made it." Rosalina softly smiled.

"Well done!" Link congratulated.

That familiar red light which Mario had by now become so accustomed to proceeded to target the top of his head. Mario shot his glance up from the floor, staring down the stationary guardian with determination and anger.

"I don't have time to deal with you right now." Mario growled, sprinting towards the corridor where Link and Rosalina were located.

Mario made it safely into the open corridor well before the guardian had a chance to fire. No longer sensing threat, its lights returned to the peaceful serene blue colour. The sounds of a surveying guardian and the rushing of rising water filled the otherwise uneventful main floor.

"Now that was something!" Mario laughed, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Let's continue." Link ordered, walking back towards the circular room where he had defeated the Hinox. "I can see a water pillar in this chamber. We should be able to explore more of the temple now."

"It must be coming from that big vent that big guy was sleeping on." Rosalina noted, following behind Link.

"Did you guys manage to beat that thing?" Mario asked, cracking his knuckles in anticipation as he followed from the rear.

Link simply nodded.

"Aww, I was hoping I might get a crack at it." Mario complained, with a grin. "Looked like a tough opponent."

"There may still be plenty of fighting for you yet, Mario." Link cautioned, the three of them appearing rather small as the camera zoomed out to capture the entirety of the room.

Much like the central chamber, the pillar of water rose and descended incrementally from the vent that was originally concealed beneath the Hinox. The three of them stood at various distances away from the water pillar, looking up at it. Mario and Link faced Rosalina as she started to speak.

"Looks like we can make our way up there if Link uses that freeze thingie again." Rosalina thought to herself, looking somewhat downward with a hint of sadness in her expression. "But balancing on that ice block seems like such a pain..."

"It almost melted beneath me last time." Mario warned, his body still alight.

"Oh yeah." Rosalina noted, her tone rather calm. "You're all fiery now, I feel warmer just standing beside you. What's up with that?"

"It's that fire pillar." Mario proceeded to explain, looking at his fiery fist. "I'm all charged up from being in it, or something."

"So you're all powered up?" Link questioned, adjusting his position with folded arms of interest.

"Yup. But it melts the ice blocks that you make, so maybe I should get rid of it before we climb up." Mario thought, preparing to unleash an attack towards the tunnel they had come.

"No, wait!" Link cried, stretching an arm forward. Mario stopped his attack, standing up straight and turning his head slightly towards Link behind him. "Don't waste it like that. We may need it."

"Well, alright." Mario agreed, turning back to them. "Let's continue on, then."

 **/**

Princess Peach and Daisy were cruising around Mushroom City on their vespas. It was approaching sunset, so they had decided to head back towards Peach Castle.

"Haha!" Daisy snorted, failing to hide a big grin. "What a fun day this ended up being! I needed this!"

"Hmhmhm. I must agree." Peach smiled, giggling daintily into her fingertips.

"Still, I wonder what Luigi ended up doing?" Daisy thought out loud, as the two of them stopped at a red light.

Upon noticing Princess Peach, a few passing cars honked their horns and waved. Some gave thumbs up out their car windows as they passed to show their approval. Pedestrians on the street would wave as well, and Peach had smiled and waved back to them all. She waited until they proceeded to drive through the intersection before commenting on what Daisy had said.

"I am not sure, but it must have been important." Peach replied. Her expression went somewhat somber. "Hey, do you remember how long ago I had sent that letter?"

"Uhh, the one to the Smash King, right? Hmm…" Daisy recalled, she looked up in thought briefly, directing her attention back forward as she spoke. "Yeah, I think it's been at least a week now."

"A whole week…" Peach frowned, not pleased with the situation.

Taking a long time to respond to a letter from a leader of a Kingdom was virtually unheard of, as well as extremely rude. It was a great insult to Peach that the recipient of her letter had taken so long to respond to her, especially considering that she had sealed it with a priority seal.

"Don't worry, Peach. He's an extremely busy guy, that Smash King." Daisy comforted. "The Smash Kingdom has all sorts of nonsense going on, all the time."

"Yes, it is true that he has a number of matters to attend to." Peach admitted, with slight disdain. "But, and forgive me, but how can you be so nonchalant about it? This concerns you and your Kingdom, after all."

Daisy took a moment to pause and bite her tongue. The truth was, Daisy despised the Smash King. However, she did not want to be rude towards the kindness Peach had demonstrated to her for requesting the aid of the Smash King on her behalf. Aid which she highly doubted she would ever receive, at that.

"I'm just… being patient." Daisy eventually replied, giving a weak smile. "That's all."

They had arrived on the dirt path that curved up towards the main bridge of Peach Castle.

"Patient? You?" Peach gawked, with a soft giggle. "Oh, Daisy. How many years have we known each other?"

The view of Peach Castle was beautiful in the sunset, the clear surrounding moat glistening in the setting sun. Peach and Daisy appeared like small little dots with little dirt clouds puffing behind them as they drove down an alternate path that led to the rear entrance.

 _"Hey! I can be plenty patient when it really matters!"_

 _"Hmhmhm!"_

 _"Hey! Don't laugh at me like that!"_

 _"Hehehe, I'm sorry. Hehehe!"_

 _"Grrr, Peach!"_

 **/**

Link and Rosalina were standing within a stone alcove high above the floor where they had fought the Hinox. A large circular rock door was waiting to be opened behind them. Having used the Cryonis trick to ride the water pillar up, they were patiently waiting for Mario, peering down into the darkness.

Eventually, rushing water entered their shared field of vision. They were greeted to Mario, balancing upon a melting ice block while laughing as he incrementally approached them. Eventually the water pillar reached the level of the stone alcove, and the flaming Mario promptly dismounted the nearly melted ice block and landed between the two of them.

"Mamma mia, it's always THIS close." Mario laughed with nearly pinched fingers, not seeming bothered by the potential danger of the situation. "I really enjoy doing that!"

"You're so weird." Rosalina grumbled, with a pout. "I hated it. It sucks even more when you have to go pee."

"Hahaha! Let's continue, shall we?" Link suggested, waving a hand to the stone door.

"Hey, do you think there is a bathroom in here?" Rosalina questioned. She looked downward with a pout. "I reeeally have to go."

"Somehow I doubt this dungeon is equipped with a lavatory." Link declined, placing his hands on the rock door. "You will have to make do for now."

"Aww…" Rosalina softly whined.

With both hands, Link gave the stone slab a jerk to the right. Dust, rock, and slit rained from the crevices of the circle slab as the rock loosened, eventually rolling to the right and out of the way. The three of them proceeded into the next room.

The next room was a large snowy field, enclosed with frozen walls. Random small hills throughout the expanse granted the room feature. Scattered throughout the field were what appeared to be numerous snow sculptures. The snow sculptures appeared to be of reptilian creatures lying in prone.

"What's in here?" Rosalina ventured to ask, stepping forward all bundled up in her winter gear.

"No, wait!" Link hissed in a harsh whisper, grasping her shoulder with a hand to stop her. "Come back. Quietly."

"Huh?" Rosalina calmly barked, rather dopily.

"Those are Lizalfos." Link explained, Mario and Rosalina listening intently. The camera panned across the field, multiple dormant Lizalfos present. "They're very quick, vicious creatures that wield weapons."

"Those things?" Rosalina noted, pointing a finger at one of the icy sculptures.

"Indeed. They'll scurry up to you and cut you down mercilessly." Link warned. "They will grant you no quarter."

"How do they like fire?" Mario grinned, stepping forward with his flaming body. He cracked his knuckles in determination.

"Not at all." Link softly grinned, eyes closed. "Think you can handle this?"

"I might have a trick up my sleeve." Mario smiled, dashing forward.

Racing lines accompanied the fiery Mario as he dashed forward. Rosalina had a fist curled near her chin, watching in interest as he zoomed into the snowfield.

"What is he going to do?" Rosalina questioned, Link watching silently with folded arms.

 _ **"HMMM-"** _Mario cried, twisting his body as if he was about to twirl.

The hissing of multiple Lizalfos shot through the room as they all busted out from their arctic camouflage. Time appeared to be in slow motion as the long tailed reptilians wailed in the air, their menacing tongues searching and their blades ready.

 _ **"YAHOO!"**_ Mario cheered, as twirled around rapidly. Massive amounts of sharp angled flame launched from his body, striking all of the impending Lizalfos without the need to aim.

As the flames struck the Lizalfos, they disappeared instantly into mist with a squawk of defeat. Mario concluded his massive fire spin with a single gloved hand against the ground, multiple blades and bows falling to the ground. The Lizalfos had disappeared without a trace, and the flames no longer surrounded Mario.

"Whooooa..." Rosalina calmly awed, flames flickering in the reflection of her eyes.

"The Power of the Goddess Stars..." Link started, walking forward with his arms at his sides. He stopped behind Mario, who was standing tall once again. "It is truly remarkable."

"With this, I'll be able to help all of my friends." Mario stated, looking at his fist as he spoke with conviction. "I'll be able to help them from all of the bad people in this world."

"Indeed. But for now, let us focus on these trials." Link reminded, walking forward through the now deserted grass field.

Mario directed his attention to where Link was heading, and he saw that Link was approaching a large stone square door that was located at the end of the field. Rosalina walked past him towards the door, and Mario followed behind shortly after. Eventually, the three of them were standing before the large door. This door was different from the others, not just in its size, but it also featured a bright blue lit up Sheikah insignia. It did not appear to be openable, at least via conventional means.

 **"Hey! You made it!"**

The three of them featured respectively coloured exclamation marks over their heads as the mysterious voice spoke once again.

"Have we completed the trial?" Link ventured to ask.

 **"You guys have just completed the second part of a three part trial! You're almost there!"**

"There's still more?" Rosalina complained, her lips squiggly as she looked downward in defeat. "What a pain..."

 **"This one'll be fun."** You could hear the smile. Suddenly, a magic key spawned in the hands of Mario.

"Huh?" Mario barked, examining the key. It was glowing red, as if it was red hot. The ridges of the key looked like they were flames, the head a ball of fire.

"What's that?" Rosalina asked, her and Link examining the strange key. A magic key then spawned in the hands of Rosalina. "Eh?"

The key was glowing bright blue, the key itself a deeper blue than the aura which surrounded it. The head of the key was star shaped, its ridges replaced such that it looked like three curved tails of a shooting star.

"Whoa..." Rosalina calmly awed, pleasantly amazed by its glow.

With a smack, the large door proceeded to slowly open by sinking into the earth beneath it. The room was shaking, until the door finally had submerged completely into the ground.

 **"Continue through, and best of luck to you three!"**

"You don't get one." Rosalina teased, looking at Link with a playful sneer.

Link scratched his head, admittedly disappointed. They proceeded into the next room, which started as a dark upwards ramp that was inclined at 45 degrees. The material of which it was made was the same as the tile at the entrance of the temple. Eventually, they had arrived at what appeared to be a hexagonal room, with three silhouettes around its centre.

The keys pulsated in their hands, and the revving of engines was then heard. The three of them gasped, examining the silhouettes which were clearly motorcycles. The leftmost silhouette was flaming all over with a skull located between the large handle bars. The rightmost silhouette was aerodynamic and sleek in design, while glittering with stardust. The middle silhouette lit up with the same orange and blue lights the ancient technology typically featured.

Link looked down at his Sheikah Slate, and noticed a new rune had been added. His eyes were trembling weakly as he read the words on the display.

 _"Master Cycle Zero rune added..."_


	16. Chapter 16: The Spirit Vessels

**Chapter 16:** The Spirit Vessels

Luigi was standing outside of the Mushplex entrance, dufflebag slung across his chest and over his right shoulder. Once again dressed in his usual attire, he stood in the night with his hands in his overall pockets. Accompanying Luigi was a peculiar character. He was an old Toad with a grey beard and bushy grey eyebrows. He was wearing a red robe and a matching red cap with gold design, which concealed his mushroom cap. He stood with pride, his fists positioned together behind his back. He was known as The Master, and he was one of the most powerful martial artists in the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Thanks again for helping me train, Sensei." Luigi thanked, rubbing the back of his head somewhat shyly.

"Ho ho. It is my pleasure, Luigi." The Master assured, with a soft and pleasant laugh. "Many a good deed have you and your brother done for this Kingdom, my homeland. As a token of my appreciation, I will do whatever I can to help you reach your true potential."

"Thanks, Sensei." Luigi nodded, somewhat uneasy as he continued. "But I don't really feel like I trained all that hard."

"Today, was a day of conditioning." The Master informed, with a single raised finger.

"Conditioning?" Luigi ventured to ask, tapping his foot with his fist on his chin in thought.

"Mm. Getting your body used to the weights, to the motions... Learning to do the exercises properly." The Master explained. "Rush into it straight from day one and you'll only harm, possibly even immobilize, yourself."

"Right..." Luigi nodded in agreement. "Hey, so we'll get back at this tomorrow then?"

"Yes. But soon I would like for us to train at my Dojo." The Master admitted, looking downward with closed eyes in thought. "I am not particularly fond of the city and gym atmosphere..."

"Ohh, okay. Gotcha." Luigi consented, with a thumbs up. "Pretty soon I should be able to handle exercising on my own here. And you'll teach me how to fight back at your place, right?"

"Mm." The Master nodded. "But the path to strength will by no means be an easy one. Are you prepared?"

"I am." Luigi nodded, he looked down at his clenched fists. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Good." The Master softly smiled. "Now then. If you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"See ya tomorrow, Sensei." Luigi concluded, with a wave.

The Master Toad wandered off frame, heading on his way. Luigi took a few steps towards his parked Vespa, the only vehicle remaining in the Mushplex parking lot this late. A green exclamation mark appeared over his head as he heard the snickering of two suspicious people who were approaching from down the street. Looking side to side, he saw a rather wide mailbox near the stairs leading to the Mushplex entrance, and decided to take cover behind it.

"Nyeah-heh-heh-heh, can you believe it Wario?" Waluigi snickered, rubbing his twiggy moustache with pride as he marched down the street with his lanky legs. "Tomorrow's the big day!"

"We're gonna blow this damn city to the ground!" Wario grinned, with a manic expression on his face as he carried a large rolled up tarp.

A green exclamation mark appeared over Luigi's head as he hid behind the mailbox.

(Those two... where have I seen them before?) Luigi thought to himself, his eyes narrowed in determined thought. He proceeded to recall where he had seen the two of them before.

 **{** "Hey, what's this?" Luigi spotted, a green exclamation mark appearing over his head. He walked towards what appeared to be a poster for some sort of an event.

The poster featured two moustachioed men, one rather short and fat and the other one tall, thin, and lanky. The short and fat man had yellow clothes and purple overalls, whereas the lanky man wore purple clothes with black overalls. The fat man had a big open-mouth smile while pointing a gloved finger, whereas the tall and skinny man was rubbing his rather twiggy moustache between his fingers with an apparent sense of pride. The poster read:

 _"THE WARIO BROS. PRESENT: THE BOMBASTIC CARNIVAL! It'll be a BLAST!"_

"The Wario Bros? Ugh, I know them from Sarasaland." Daisy informed, almost with a sneer. She seemed to disapprove of them. "They're conmen. This can't be any good."

"Really? Apparently they are gonna be holding this Bombastic Carnival right here in Mushroom City tomorrow." Luigi explained, rubbing his chin as he continued to look at the poster. **}**

(That's it! Those are the two guys I saw on that poster for the carnival!) Luigi recalled, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. (And that purple guy...)

 **{** Luigi then journeyed outside with his hands in his overall pockets, seeing if there were any nearby stores he could inspect to kill some time as Peach went through the rigorous ordeal of setting up multiple cell phone plans. As Luigi stood outside while looking to the right, a tall lanky man in purple had bumped into him, which caused the stranger to emit a rather nasally bark of surprise.

 _"Wah!"_

 _"Whoa!"_

Luigi's eyes met the narrow eyes of the tall lanky man, who was preoccupied with trying to catch an object which their encounter had caused him to drop. Luigi directed his gaze on what appeared to be a strange wooden doll that was falling from his hands. The doll itself wore a blue cape, as well as a blue hat with yellow ribbon on it. It also wore dark brown boots and had a spiked yellow collar. The big, blankly staring eyes of the doll were a deep maroon.

Luigi went for a dive, and managed to catch the doll. With a bit of a mid air turn, he landed on his rump with the doll safely in his lap.

"Gotcha!" Luigi smiled, somewhat proud.

The lanky man in purple stomped forward with pointed orange shoes, snatching the doll out of Luigi's arms. "H-Huh?"

"Give me that!" Waluigi sneered, looking at the man in green down the bridge of his nose. " _This,_ is the grand prize at tomorrows carnival! I can't have someone like you sullying it!"

"Huh? Grand prize? Carnival?" Luigi thought aloud, standing up and rubbing the back of his head. Then, it all clicked. He was the man from the carnival poster. "Oh, yeah! The Bombastic Carnival! You're the guy!" **}**

(Yeah, that's right... he was that rude guy from the mall earlier today!) Luigi remembered, his eyebrows narrowed in disapproval as he continued to eavesdrop on the two brothers.

"Come tomorrow, that dumb broad of a mayor won't even know what hit her!" Wario laughed, rubbing his gloved hands together as if he had some devious ploy in mind.

"All will go according to plan, and our Lord Grodus will be most pleased." Waluigi grinned, practically euphoric with fantasies of promotion and renown.

"Grodus?" Luigi barked, his eyes widened in shock.

"What was that?" Waluigi hissed, turning towards the Mushplex from the sidewalk.

"Huh? What? You hear somethin?" Wario inquired, with a rude tone. He had his head turned only partially because of the tarp he was holding which blocked his view.

"I thought I heard something, over there!" Waluigi stated with conviction, pointing towards the Mushplex.

 _"Yikes!"_ Luigi hissed in a near silent whisper, a nervous expression on his face as he kept perfectly still behind the mailbox.

"Yeah, yeah, I do hear something." Wario agreed, apparently trying to listen for more. "Keep quiet a sec."

Waluigi indeed kept quiet, as serious as ever. Luigi grew ever more nervous, sweat beads raining down his face. Then, Wario let out a long and loud fart.

"Oh, there it is!" Wario announced, grinning from grin to ear. He slapped his leg with his free hand. "WAH HA HA!"

"You utter buffoon!" Waluigi cursed, stopping a foot forward and swiping an arm.

Luigi had an expression of surprise, listening intently as their voices trailed off. Waluigi was bickering, which was barely audible as Wario guffawed. Luigi was patient, waiting until the coast was clear.

"I have to get out of here." Luigi whispered to himself, preceding to sneak towards his Vespa.

He started the vehicle and proceeded to drive out towards the street, turning the opposite direction from which he had heard Wario and Waluigi heading towards. He looked behind him for any signs of them. It was clear. He looked forward again with a closed eyed sigh of relief, but upon opening his eyes he was filled with shock. Standing in the middle of the dark deserted road, was the grimacing Wario and Waluigi.

"WHOA!" Luigi cried with a flail, losing control of his vehicle which then fell onto its side.

Luigi fell off of the bike and was lying flat on his back, the green Vespa sliding towards the Wario brothers and eventually coming to a halt before their stationary green and orange pointed shoes. After the Vespa stopped, they proceeded to march forward towards the downed Luigi.

Luigi's blurry vision eventually focused, and in his view were the grimacing faces of Wario and Waluigi.

"Ahh, I remember you." Waluigi smiled, rubbing his twiggy moustache with a tilted head. "You're the simpleton who bumped into me at the mall earlier today."

"Oh boy." Luigi fret, as Wario grabbed him by the arm and lifted him to his feet.

"Now then." Waluigi started, while leaning into Luigi's face and rubbing his pointy chin as his brother restrained Luigi's arms. "Tell us everything that you heard."

 **/**

Mario, Link, and Rosalina were standing before their respective vehicles, which were now illuminated in the hexagonal shaped room. The mysterious and youthful androgynous voice was speaking to them once again.

 **"Let's start with Mario, shall we? Step forward and hop on!"**

"Alright!" Mario happily cheered, unable to contain the excitement.

As he stood next to his motorcycle, the Flame Key he had received earlier took the liberty to remove itself from his pockets. Mario watched with an aweful smile as the Flame Key was suspended in the air before him. It then started to twirl around him, Mario following it with his eyes while still smiling, until it spun so fast that he could no longer follow it. He then simply looked skyward with closed eyes, clenched fists at his sides. There was a large white flash, so bright that Link and Rosalina had shielded their eyes. When the light died down, they looked with amazement upon what they had seen.

Unmistakably, there Mario was, sitting upon a flaming, ultra black coloured chopper. Mario was clasping the flaming, high handlebars with his famous white gloves. The bike was "ultra black" in colour, with large wheels that had gold plated rims decorated with flame design. The bike itself was alight with real fire and had chains dragging along the sides. There was a large skull wearing a spike studded road warrior hood with tusks coming left and right out of its open mouth as the headpiece.

 **"Mario! In this world, this is your vessel! It is called: Hellraiser! I think you'll find that it not only matches your inner fiery spirit, but also compliments your Goddess Star ability!"**

"Hellraiser..." Mario grinned, revving the engine while remaining in place. "Yeah! I like it!"

Rosalina and Link watched as Mario drove a single fiery lap around the hexagonal chamber, stopping back at where he once begun. They had clapped for him upon his return.

"Nice!" Mario cheered, with a clenched fist.

 **"Next up, Princess Rosalina! Step forward and hop on!"**

"M-Me? But I don't even know how to drive..." Rosalina fret, hugging herself with an expression of sadness.

 **"Don't you worry. Cause' this is no ordinary vehicle! You'll understand more once you mount! Go on!"**

"W-Well, okay..." Rosalina hesitated, but eventually she moved forward.

As with Mario's case, the same phenomenon had happened with her. Her glowing blue Star Key flew from her pockets and hovered stationary before her, eventually twirling around her. Rosalina followed the key with calm wonder as it twirled around her at an increasing rate, eventually twirling around her so fast that she looked skyward with closed eyes. The room once again lit up with a bright flash, but this time it was only Link who shielded his eyes. As the light died down, both Mario and Link gasped in awe as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing.

It was somehow as if Rosalina was a completely different person. Sitting upon the cosmic sleek bike, her platinum blonde hair was the same way it usually was, but now she wore lovely golden four pointed star earrings, and she also had a silver crown upon her head, which was embedded with rubies and sapphires. She was dressed in a primarily white jumpsuit, with the secondary colour the same turquoise/blue that her usual dress was. Her gloves, knee high boots, belt, and scarf matched this turquoise/blue colour as well.

Her bike was aerodynamic and sleek, light, and built for speed. It's colour was cosmic blue, the paint metallic such that it glittered like starlight. The wheels were small and compact, with flashy silver rims decorated with a spiralling star pattern. The handlebars were straight and encouraged the driver to lean forward, a large golden star between the handles serving as the headpiece.

 **"Princess Rosalina! In this world, this is your vessel! It is called: Starman! As the Princess of the Galaxies herself, I think this dazzling ride suits you perfectly!"**

"I... feel like... myself! I feel more comfortable with myself than ever before!" Rosalina awed, examining herself in the reflection of her bike. Her eyes trembled as she looked at her crown and earrings. She felt like a true Princess. "This is who I really am."

"Right? And don't you feel like you already know how to drive it?" Mario grinned, watching Rosalina as she examined her transformation and new bike.

"It's true, I do feel like I'm deeply connected to this bike somehow!" Rosalina agreed, with a nod.

"Well come on, take her for a whirl!" Mario encouraged, with a happy closed eyed grin.

"Right!" Rosalina nodded with conviction. She was acting different from her usual lazy, unmotivated self.

She revved the engine and then proceeded to zoom forward at a rather high speed. She then proceeded to drift at a sharp angle, such that she had a real lean as she circled her rather impressed spectators. A stream of blue light launched from the engine, tracing her path and quickly fading. Despite having never driven before, she was already driving like a professional. She parked back in her place with an expression of awe herself. Link and Mario gave their applause upon her return.

"This is no ordinary bike." Rosalina laughed excitedly, unable to explain the phenomenon.

 **"That's right, it isn't any ordinary bike. It's your Spirit Vessel!"**

"Spirit vessel?" Rosalina inquired, unable to make any sense of it.

 **"But before I explain that, let's get Link in on the fun! Come on! Step forward and hop on!"**

Link nodded, remaining patient throughout the process of Mario and Rosalina receiving their bikes. As he approached his bike, the Master Cycle Zero rune currently displayed on his Sheikah Slate and dedicated to spawning said bike, he felt an overwhelming sense of awe.

The Master Cycle Zero was an impressive vessel. Made from ancient guardian technology, it resembled a horse in its shape. It's body was covered with all sorts of glowing orange and blue technology, the most prominent of which was the blue blade horn located on the very front.

"Never in all of my years..." Link thought out loud, as he proceeded to board the bike.

As with the case of Mario and Rosalina, a blinding flash smothered the room before fading once again. Link was now wearing a forest green tunic, with white pants and brown boots. Mario recognized this outfit as one that was similar to what Saria in the Jail of Souls was wearing, although Link also had a long green tube cap upon his head.

"Oh?" Link barked, proceeding to examine himself in awe.

The three of them then looked skyward towards the mysterious voice while sitting on their newly obtained Spirit Vessels as it continued to speak.

 **"Congratulations to the three of you for making it this far! These are gifts from the Goddess herself! I present to _The Three_ , your _Spirit Vessels_!"**

"Our Spirit Vessels..." Mario thought out loud, examining Hellraiser with a grin. "Too cool!"

"Wait. You said these are gifts from the Goddess herself?" Link questioned, intrigued to learn such a fact.

 **"That's right! The Goddess specifically crafted these three Spirit Vessels for _The Three_ so that they may better navigate these _other worlds_!"**

"She made these for us?" Mario questioned, scratching his head in thought. "But why would she choose to make us these bikes?"

"And what do you mean by, "The Three"." Link inquired, eyes narrowed in interest.

"I love my crown!" Rosalina admitted, trying her best not to overly adjust it as she felt it with her fingertips.

 **"*snicker*... I suppose that's a conversation that we will have to have if "The Three" manage to successfully complete this final trial!"**

"Very well." Link surrendered, examining the Master Cycle Zero. "Tell us about these Spirit Vessels."

 **"Right. These Spirit Vessels are the way that you guys are gonna navigate _Spirit Realms_."**

"Spirit Realms?" Link inquired, listening intently.

 **"Yeah. You guys are in a Spirit Realm right now. It's the medium in which these trials have been conducted. Spirit Realms are connected to the real world in very mysterious ways."**

"Whoa, really?" Rosalina awed, with wonder in her eyes.

 **"But this Spirit Realm is different from the Spirit Realms that we're gonna see later on... Anyway, the primary use of the Spirit Vessels will be for escaping these Spirit Realms."**

"For escape?" Link inquired, as curious as the rest of them.

 **"Mm-hm. Once you _steal_ a certain something from the Spirit Realm, it will proceed to collapse in on itself. That's where the Spirit Vessels come in!"**

"Steal, huh... I don't really understand..." Mario admitted, rubbing his head in confusion.

 **"It'll all make sense soon enough. This final trial will serve as a practice run for such a heist!"**

"So this Spirit Realm is about to collapse, and we're gonna try to escape from it?" Link concluded, his expression calm and serious.

 **"This one at least, catches on quickly!"**

"Hey!" Mario barked, offended.

 **"Hmm... Ha! I'll give _*you*_ the Treasure!"**

With a magic bing, a glowing orb spawned on Mario's lap. Exclamation marks appeared over the heads of Mario and Link (a question mark for Rosalina) as they examined the glowing, golden orb resting upon Mario's lap.

"Huh? What the heck is this?" Mario questioned, gold light reflected in his eyes.

 **"It's the _Treasure_. You can think of it as... the _"heart"_ of this Spirit Realm. Since you are stealing it from its rightful place, this Spirit Realm will start to collapse."**

"Stealing the heart, the "Treasure", of a Spirit Realm causes it to be destroyed..." Link contemplated, pensively. "Interesting..."

"So we gotta escape before we get caught up in the collapse?" Rosalina lazily questioned, an expression of sadness on her face. "What a pain."

 **"It's even worse than that! There are a lot of things thriving within a Spirit Realm that are not happy that you're stealing the heart of their world, that is, the Treasure. Those that protect the Treasure are called "Guardians". They're going to try and stop you from stealing it by any means."**

"It sounds like we are being trained to destroy these Spirit Realms..." Link realized, eyes narrowed in skepticism.

 **"Again, this one is sharp. That's right, you are being trained to infiltrate and destroy Spirit Realms. But not just any old Spirit Realms. In particular, the Spirit Realms of your enemies."**

"Destroying the Spirit Realms of our enemies..." Link repeated, trying to comprehend the odd, metaphysical statement.

"But why do we gotta do all that?" Mario questioned, pounding his fists together. "Can't we just beat them up instead?"

 **"Because, by destroying the Spirit Realms of our enemies... That's how we're gonna save the world!"**

"I don't get it..." Rosalina frowned, her arms folded as she slouched upon Starman.

 **"I already told you, these Spirit Realms affect the real world in mysterious ways. If we destroy the evil Spirit Realms, the Spirit Realms of our enemies... it will definitely have a positive impact on the world! I just know it!"**

Mario, Link, and Rosalina said nothing. Instead, they exchanged glances. Once the mysterious voice spoke again, they all returned their attention skyward.

 **"Look, I'll explain everything after this trial, promise. Right now, I just need you guys to really focus and do this right! The fate of the world depends on The Three!"**

"Well, okay..." Rosalina sighed, her engine puttering on idle.

 **"And with that..."**

A loud rumble shot throughout the room, and a blinding line of light appeared on the floor before them. A massive door proceeded to slowly open, snow from the outside mountain top blowing into the room. Blinding light was cast upon Link, Mario, and Rosalina's determined faces.

"Here we go..." Link thought out loud, brimming with courage.

"O-One more trial..." Rosalina thought out loud, struggling to stay calm as the massive door raised higher and higher.

"You guys are gonna need to protect me, alright?" Mario firmly stated, a single sweat rolling down the side of his face. He secured the treasure he possessed.

A soft bang concluded the doors rising as the screen went black. The sound of revving engines and blowing snow could be heard.

 **"Let's begin the Final Trial!"**


	17. Chapter 17: The Third Trial

**Chapter 17:** The Third Trial: Escape From The Collapsing Spirit Realm!

Now through the other side of the Temple of Fire and Ice, Mario, Rosalina, and Link find themselves riding down a steep, snowy landscape on their respective Spirit Vessels. They were in fact riding down the opposite face of the mountain they had scaled earlier. The steep mountainside featured a myriad of bumpy hills and tall trees.

The formation of their brigade was structured such that Mario was in the middle, with the Treasure secured on his person. Rosalina followed in the rear, while Link was at the front. They were practically lined up in single file. They were able to communicate, since their Spirit Vessels were equipped with a communications system.

 **MARIO:** "I hope you guys are prepared... they're gonna be after me."

 **ROSALINA:** "Is there some sort of communication system with these bikes? I can hear you perfectly."

 **LINK:** "That appears to be the case... It would also seem that while we are on these Spirit Vessels, we are immune to any temperature effects."

 **ROSALINA:** "Oh yeah! I don't feel cold at all, even in this outfit!"

 **LINK:** "There also appears to be a whole bunch of other features with these Spirit Vessels. Check and see what you guys are able to do!"

 **ROSALINA:** "Mario, you're breathing too loud."

 **MARIO:** "Really? Ho ho, sorry. Guess I'm a little nervous holding the Treasure."

Then, the snowy sky above them transitioned into a deep, deathly, purple colour. The clouds slowly began to crumble in on themselves, as if they were about to implode. The sky itself cracked like a windshield, a large red line growing across the heavens.

"H-Holy crap!" Mario gasped, amazed by what he was seeing unfold right before his eyes. He gulped as he saw the surrounding trees start to bend to their left and right, as if something was pushing down on them from the top.

Directly ahead was a Guardian, its lights bright red as it marched towards the heroes coming down the hill from above.

 **MARIO:** "H-Heads up!"

 **LINK:** "Leave it to me."

A holographic display then appeared before Link between the handle bars of his Spirit Vessel. Four square icons appeared, each of which occupying one of the main compass directions. A fifth, circular icon, was located in the middle and essentially magnified which ever of the four square icons was selected. Link rotated his hand such that the east square icon was selected.

Magically, a bow made from guardian technology, the Ancient Bow, spawned in his hands. The Guardian was approaching, and its sights were focusing on the nervous Mario, who had his teeth clenched in angst. As Link zoomed over a hill, he hopped off of his bike and readied an arrow.

Time appeared to be in slow motion as Link, while in midair, pulled back a large arrow made from guardian technology, an Ancient Arrow. Fully cocked back, the ancient arrow pulsated and glowed with a spherical orb of blue energy at the arrowhead. Link released the arrow, and time resumed normal speed.

With deadly accuracy, Link had managed to strike the eye of the Guardian with the ancient arrow. He landed back on the Master Cycle Zero, and the three of them zoomed past the now stationary, malfunctioning Guardian. It jerked in odd motions and sputtered with electricity dancing over its failing body before finally exploding into smithereens.

Rosalina looked behind her in awe at the explosion, which gave her already blowing hair some extra kick. She faced forward again and followed behind Mario and Link as they navigated downhill through this distorted, dying world.

 **LINK:** "Heads up! There's a pretty dense forest up ahead!"

Not only was the forest dense, but the trees wiggled in distortion, almost like the area above of distant body of water on a hot day. As they entered the wooded area, their focus was sharp as they navigated around the trees. Rising from the depths of the snow from up ahead and to the right were skeletal creatures known as Stalfos. They were boney, undead soldiers with mangled, disorderly teeth. They wielded large and sharp weapons, and their glowing, red eyes only made them all the more macabre.

 **ROSALINA:** "W-W-What are those?"

 **LINK:** "I'm on it!"

Link branched rightward from the centre line the three of them had formed, curving his path such that he intercepted the Stalfos mindlessly marching towards the incoming Treasure. Link quickly rotated his hand on the holographic display to a new icon as he zoomed through the snowy forest. After selecting the west square icon, an Ancient Lance, which was a three pronged lance made of guardian technology, spawned in his hands. The three spearheads were glowing blue blades of light.

"Hup! Ha! Hyah!" Link cried, repeatedly stabbing at the Stalfos, and causing them to lose their heads.

The heads flew in random directions, causing the Stalfos to become disoriented as they attempted to reclaim them. One unlucky head found itself being crushed beneath the wheels of the Master Cycle Zero as it zoomed back towards front and centre.

Link did happen to miss a Stalfos, which readied an arrow and attempted to strike the passing Mario.

"A-wa-wa-wa!" Mario gasped, ducking his head just in time to avoid it. A top down view of the distorting forest was present as the three of them navigated through it.

 **MARIO:** "Whoa! Can you give me a heads up the next time you miss one? I nearly got hit there!"

 **LINK:** "S-Sorry... It's hard to get them all in one passing."

 **ROSALINA:** "They're not going after me for some reason. Maybe I should hold the Treasure?"

Red hash lines of anger blinked over Mario's head, his rambling face popping out of a sharp lined speech bubble, like a comic book.

 **MARIO:** "THEY'RE GOING AFTER ME _*BECAUSE*_ I HAVE THE TREASURE!"

 **LINK:** "I see the clearing. We're almost through the forest!"

A few moments later, Link zoomed out of the forest with the Master Cycle Zero. Mario followed shortly after on Hellraiser, still holding onto the glowing, golden Treasure. Finally, Rosalina emerged from the forest on the cosmic Spirit Vessel, Starman. Sharp blue light emit from her engine, tracing her path before fading completely.

Although the three of them had successfully navigated through the distorted forest, their troubles were far from over. Quite the contrary, as they were truly just beginning.

A loud, deafening roar of deep tone pierced throughout the entire Spirit Realm. The power of the roar was of such magnitude, that the entire world vibrated vigorously throughout the duration of the roar. The glowing red line in the sky split in a variety of ways, like a cracking egg shell. Mario, Link, and Rosalina watched the phenomenon in nervous awe as they continued down the mountain on their Spirit Vessels.

 **ROSALINA:** "This doesn't look good..."

With a booming shatter, the sky burst into multiple fragments, like a frozen window pane under pressure. Time appeared to be in slow motion, and the shattered pieces had some sort of blurry, illusory effect. They were like windows of the universe, twirling slowly at varying depths. It almost looked like 3D movie technology as pieces of the sky flew towards them at different distances.

 **MARIO:** "THE SKY IS FALLING?!"

Emerging from the broken sky was a large, black dragon with two different eyes, the left glowing purple and the right glowing blue. It had two large horns on its head, and a purple aura was burning like fire all over its massive scaly body and its large, black wings. It faced skyward and emit another deafening roar of deep tone.

 **MARIO:** "MAMMA MIA, A DRAGON!"

 **ROSALINA:** "It looks so cool!"

 **LINK:** "Is now truly the time to admire such things?"

 **ROSALINA:** "You'd be laughing if you had your booze with you."

 **LINK:** "Oh, sweet, sweet, sake... How I miss you so."

This time, however, the roar had caused an avalanche. From the top of the mountain, rolling snow that flashed in and out of existence in some glitch-like manner was storming their way.

 **MARIO:** "W-We've got problems!"

 **LINK:** "An avalanche?"

 **ROSALINA:** "What a pain…"

 **"Guys! Be careful! That's the Dragon of Chaos!"**

The three of them gasped in surprise as the mysterious voice had returned to them. This was the first time it had ever done so partway through a trial.

 **ROSALINA:** "Hey, she's back."

 **MARIO:** "I thought he was a he?"

 **LINK:** "Nevermind that right now. What about this Dragon of Chaos?"

 **"Right. After stealing the Treasure, a Spirit Realm loses its _"state of order"_ and starts to enter a _"state of chaos"_. The seal that the Treasure kept on the Dragon of Chaos has been broken, so now, the freed Dragon of Chaos is determined to destroy the Spirit Realm by rendering it completely chaotic and uninhabitable. In other words, there's no turning back now. This Spirit Realm is doomed for destruction."**

 **MARIO:** "Oh! So... mission accomplished, right?"

 **ROSALINA:** "Hey, that wasn't so bad…"

 **LINK:** "But we still need to escape with our lives, correct?"

 **"That's right. You may have successfully destroyed the Spirit Realm, but in order to leave the Spirit Realm you still have to escape."**

 **MARIO:** "What happens if we don't escape?"

 **"I… don't know. I would imagine you would be stuck in a permanent state of chaos."**

 **ROSALINA:** "That sounds awful."

 **LINK:** "Let's... not think of such things."

 **"Right! You guys will be just fine! You're almost there, so I'll see you on the other side, okay? Bye for now!"**

With that, the mysterious voice had disappeared. Although this time, it felt as though it was for good. Mario, Link, and Rosalina continued to ride on down the mountain on their Spirit Vessels. They knew that one error would have caused them to slow down enough to get caught up in the incoming avalanche. The distorted, dense forest they had previously navigated through screamed and wailed with twisted wooden faces upon each tree as it was smothered by the glitchy avalanche.

Link barked in wonder as he noticed his now blinking display featured the symbol of a dragon, notifying him with an urgent sound cue. Mario and Rosalina had noticed the same thing.

 **LINK:** "Everyone, look! Our Spirit Vessels appear to be reacting to the Dragon!"

 **MARIO:** "Yeah, I see it too!"

 **ROSALINA:** "Same here… I wonder what it's for?"

Then, from up above in the sky, the Dragon of Chaos proceeded to charge up a blue ball of energy in his mouth. Link noticed on his display that there was now a blinking red exclamation mark surrounded by a hazard symbol. Mario and Rosalina did not receive the same warning, however.

 **{** Then, Link found himself in a 2D-world, appearing as an 8-bit sprite with a sword and shield. He was located in a black box with a solid white border, and and Dragon's head was floating around the box. The view of the box was top down, so Link was free to navigate within the entire square.

A white ball of magic charged up in the Dragons mouth, and it launched a white beam of magic through the box, which Link rolled to the right to dodge. Link danced in place as he watched the Dragon head circle around his imprisoned state, eventually charging another white beam and launching it at the bottom half of the box. Link had quickly migrated up in order to dodge it.

The Dragon proceeded to circle the box again, but this time one of its eyes glowed blue. It launched a blue ball towards Link, which migrated in his direction quite slowly. Instinctively, Link sliced the incoming blue ball, which sent the blue ball flying back at the Dragon. The Dragon sent the blue ball back even faster at Link with a chomp. Link returned the favour with another swipe of the sword, and the exchange continued. The ball was eventually flying between them so rapidly that the Dragon could no longer keep up with it.

The blue ball struck the Dragon, which caused it to emit a grunt as blue lightning danced all over its head. Its head came crashing down into the box, and Link took the opportunity to strike the Dragon head multiple times with his sword. The Dragon flashed and grunted with each sword strike. Finally, with a building white flash, the strange existence ceased to exist. **}**

"H-Huh?" Link barked, finding himself back on the Master Cycle Zero. "W-What?"

 **MARIO:** "Hmm? Something happen, Link?"

 **LINK:** "Y-Yeah… Where was I just now?"

 **MARIO:** "What are you talking about? You've been here this whole time!"

 **ROSALINA:** "Link, are you okay?"

Based on the location they were at, Link realized that no time had passed at all since he experienced that strange encounter with the Dragon. As far as time in this world was concerned, that event was instantaneous.

 **LINK:** "Hmm… No time to explain right now, but… it looks like that Dragon isn't moving anymore."

Mario and Rosalina took a moment to look skyward. The Dragon looked as though it was resting with closed eyes, as if it had been temporarily immobilized.

 **MARIO:** "Hey, look at that! What did you do, Link?"

 **LINK:** "I had a strange encounter with it, but again, there's no time to explain. This should help us out some. I hope."

 **ROSALINA:** "Uh, guys?"

There was no need for an explanation. Mario and Link looked around them to see that they were being surrounded by five guardians, each of them targeting Mario.

Link was quick to rotate his hand such that the Ancient Bow spawned in his hand. He readied an Ancient Arrow, and with deadly accuracy he launched it into the eye of the incoming north-eastern Guardian. It stopped in place and proceeded to malfunction, before exploding into nothing.

The nervous Mario, who had four targeting sights focusing on him as he continued forward with the Treasure on his person, startled in surprise as he noticed the flames around him were no longer glowing a fiery red. Instead, they were now a sort of deep purple colour, with an increasingly violet colour towards the core.

"Huh?" Mario barked, in surprise. "Wait a minute, have I been charging up this whole time?"

 **LINK:** "There's too many of them. We need a strategy, and fast!"

 **MARIO:** "Hey guys, I think that Hellraiser has been charging me up this entire time!"

 **ROSALINA:** "Charging?"

 **MARIO:** "You know, with fire. Like back in the temple earlier."

 **LINK:** "Really? Well now would be an excellent time to use it!"

 **MARIO:** "Alright! Just you watch!"

There were four more guardians; two from the rear (approximately south and southwest) and two from the front (approximately west and north west). Mario, now ultra charged with purple flames, had closed eyes. He felt a powerful, deep connection to his Spirit Vessel, one which could not quite be explained. He opened his eyes with wild determination. He never felt more alive. Never before, did Mario ever feel this much that he was his _true self._

 ** _" HELLRAISER!"_** Mario cried with the swipe of an arm, the sound of a sword being unsheathed ringing throughout the realm.

A mystical, paranormal spirit figure rose above Mario. It was a skeleton with a large cloak made from a torn Mushroom Kingdom flag. Its shoulders and head were alight with dancing white flames, and it featured a golden shackle on its right wrist from which a large golden chain dangled. From it's neck dangled a golden pendant with the Ouroboros, the cyclical dragon who eats its own tail, engraved on it in bronze. It wore Mario's clothes, only torn and far more aged. Curiously enough, it also wore Peachs crown instead of Marios hat. Hellraiser was the _very essence of rebellion_ , materialized.

"Is this… the _Spirit_ within his Spirit Vessel?" Link thought to himself, in awe from the massive Spirit hovering above Mario.

"Wow…" Rosalina calmly awed, her blue eyes full of wonder.

 _ **"VOICE OF REBELLION!"**_ Mario cried, swiping an arm so that his open palm with spread fingers faced the two incoming Guardians in the front. Hellraiser perfectly mimed his motions as a massive Spirit from above.

With vicious velocity, a purple whirlwind of sharp edged fire raced towards the two Guardians. The air around the attack swirled into it and then shot outward to give a racing line effect. Rosalina and Link gasped and barked as they shielded their eyes, their hair whipping violently from the force of the attack.

Although Mario's earlier fire attack had previously been rendered ineffective towards Guardians, this attack was so powerful and contained so much heat that it literally melted the Guardians in their path to the point of terminal malfunction. They now looked more like wet stones sticking out of the ground than ancient technological killing machines.

Mario concluded the attack, lowering his palm and taking a breath. As the purple flames surrounding him died down completely, the Spirit Hellraiser disappeared as well, returning to the Spirit Vessel.

 **LINK:** "Incredible... Great job, Mario! But there are still two of them behind us that are about to fire!"

To make matters worse, the Dragon of Chaos was awakening. He emit a deafening roar, which caused the three of them to cover their ears as they continued forward. The two guardians that were chasing them rocked a bit and lost sight of their target. Although some time had been bought, they were quick to continue to march forward and retarget Mario.

 **MARIO:** "That Dragon is back!"

 **LINK:** "Those guardians are right on our tail, too!"

Then, the Dragon of Chaos, from up above in the sky, proceeded to charge up a blue ball of energy in his mouth. Rosalina gulped with anxiety, realizing that they were in trouble and she had not been of any use so far. But what _could_ she do?

She then emit a bark of surprise as she noticed on her display that there was a blinking red exclamation mark surrounded by a hazard symbol. Mario and Link did not receive the same warning, however.

 **{** Then, Rosalina found herself in a 2D world, looking like an 8-bit sprite with a magic Star Wand. She was located in a black box with a solid white border, and the Dragon's head was floating around the box. The view of the box was top down, so Rosalina was free to navigate the entire square.

The Dragon flew behind the box, and from the z-axis proceeded to fire balls of white energy that went through the x,y plane that made up the black box. Rosalina dodged the white balls of energy as they went from back to front, taking up about thirty percent of the box with each passing.

The Dragon proceeded to circle the box again, but this time one of its eyes glowed blue. It launched a blue ball towards Rosalina, which migrated in her direction quite slowly. Instinctively, Rosalina twirled in place, which caused a blue barrier to form around her. This barrier, when perfectly timed, sent the blue ball flying back at the Dragon. The Dragon sent the blue ball back even faster at Rosalina with a chomp. Rosalina returned the favour with another dazzling twirl, and the exchange continued. The ball eventually was flying between them so rapidly that the Dragon could no longer keep up with it.

The blue ball struck the Dragon, which caused it to emit a grunt as blue lightning danced all over its head. Its head came crashing down into the box, and Rosalina took this opportunity to strike the Dragon head multiple times with her Star Wand. The Dragon flashed and grunted with each strike, and with a building white flash, the strange existence ceased to exist. **}**

"O-Oh?" Rosalina barked, as she found herself back on her Spirit Vessel. "W-What just happened?"

 **MARIO:** "We gotta act, fast!"

 **LINK:** "Look! The Dragon of Chaos is dormant again!"

Mario and Rosalina took a moment to look skyward. The Dragon looked as though it was resting with closed eyes, as if it had been temporarily immobilized.

 **ROSALINA:** "Link, I think I understand now what happened to you earlier."

 **LINK:** "So it happened to you as well?"

Mario looked behind him with clenched teeth, the relentless Guardians aiming at him and about to fire. He faced forward again, glowing gold Treasure on his lap.

 **MARIO:** "No time for that! The guardians are about to fire!"

"Hmm?" Rosalina barked, her eyes narrowing in calm determination.

Her engine revved and body rocked as she roughly jerked to adjust her position so that she was between the crossfire of the two Guardians sights and Mario. The beeping sounds of the Guardians target system increased as they were about to fire.

 **LINK:** "Rosalina? What are you doing!"

"Hm?" Mario barked, turning his head to see Rosalina was indeed in the crossfire. "ROSALINA!"

"Don't worry." Rosalina gently assured, with a calm expression. Her eyes softly closed as blinding light emerged from the guardians behind her, which gave her figure a sort of heavenly glow from Mario's perspective.

The guardians each fired a beam, and Rosalina's eyes opened with determination.

"Ha!" She grunted with a twirl, her Spirit Vessel rotating in midair a full three hundred and sixty degrees.

As she spun, she was encompassed in a blue barrier of energy. With its formation executed at just the right time, it sent the guardians beams of light right back at their point of origin at twice the velocity. Each Guardian was struck by their own attack, and proceeded to malfunction with blue bolts of electricity dancing over their forms. Finally, they exploded to conclude their termination process.

Rosalina took a breath of relief, smiling a toothless smile as she felt a surge of confidence. Mario and Link praised her efforts over the communication system.

 **MARIO:** "Wooooo Rosalina! Nice save!"

 **LINK:** "That was amazing, Rosalina! Well done!"

 **ROSALINA:** "Hehe, aren't I great?"

Up ahead, they saw a magical swirling portal awaiting them at what appeared to be the bottom of the mountain. It was blue and black, swirling and mesmerizing, with white starlight dancing all over it.

However, they weren't in the clear just yet. The Dragon of Chaos rose once again, emitting a powerful roar which caused the entire realm to vibrate vigorously. It proceeded launch a large amount of spiky circular attacks from his mouth, which almost looked like buzzsaws made out of purple electricity.

 **LINK:** "Incoming!"

The three of them swerved to the right and left in order to dodge the raining electric attacks, which struck the ground and then emit pulse of electricity within a small radius around the point of impact. Almost there. Mario looked back with a nervous sweat as he saw three swirling rings approaching him from behind. Mario was convinced that they were impossible to avoid.

 **MARIO:** "I-I'm in trouble here!"

Link had safely entered the portal, and somehow Rosalina had passed Mario throughout the recent maneuvering. Before having a chance to respond, she had also safely entered the portal. Mario was left all alone in the chaotic Spirit Realm, and he was in trouble.

"C-Crap... What am I gonna do?" Mario barked, looking back with his teeth clenched and rings of purple lightning in the reflection of his eyes.

Then, something utterly miraculous happened. A pink deer with sparkling eyes appeared out of nowhere and dived forward with all of her might. The patches of white star-shaped fur on her coat, and that red bow on her head. There was no mistaking it, it was Dolly.

"Dolly?" Mario barked, his eyes widening in shock.

The gushing sound of flesh being sliced rang throughout the Spirit Realm. Mario's eyes were widened, his jaw dropped at what he witnessed. Time appeared to be in slow motion, the black silhouette of the deer limp and soaring slowly through midair, trails of blood flying from its form.

The pink deer landed on the snow with a thump, purple bolts of lightning dancing on its downed body. She had successfully intercepted the attack, but at what cost?

"DOLLY!" Mario screamed, tears in his eyes. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, opening them again with a furious expression on his face.

He roughly braked on his bike, which was so vigorous that it had caused it to fall on his side. Mario jumped off and rolled forward, running back up the hill towards the downed animal as his Spirit Vessel slid into the portal Link and Rosalina had drove through. Hellraiser was gone, it had disappeared. The Treasure had landed in the snow just before the portal.

Mario was breathing heavily as he ran up the hill of the dying realm, the Dragon of Chaos facing skyward and roaring powerfully. Mario did not care, ignoring the chaos around him as he knelt before the heavily wounded deer.

Her pink fur was stained with blood, and her breathing had grown hoarse. Mario couldn't hold back letting a few tears run down his face.

"D-Dolly, no!" Mario sobbed, stopping himself from touching her. "Why did you do that? Why, Dolly?"

The deer continued to breath hoarsely. The spiralling portal down the hill was starting to shrink, and the Dragon of Chaos was charging up another set of electrical attacks.

"I was supposed to bring you home... You were supposed to be with him until the end..." Mario explained to her and himself, overcome with guilt. "I've failed you both."

The deer looked at Mario happily. Mario's trembling eyes widened in surprise. He had failed to understand. Then, a magical bright and golden arm forced its way through the portal from which Mario was meant to escape. It searched around the area as if it had an eye on it's palm.

The Dragon of Chaos launched another set of attacks, and purple rings of electricity were racing towards the kneeling Mario from above.

Dolly dropped her head back down into the snow, and closed her eyes while breathing hoarsely.

"No Dolly, no! You gotta get back up!" Mario encouraged, his expression full of sadness and determination. "You gotta get back up and return home to him! Do it for him!"

Then, the magical hand launched forward and grabbed Mario from behind like a doll.

"Awawa!" Mario cried, his arms stretched forward. The glowing hand held him in such a way that he had his arms and legs free.

The hand pulled back towards the portal, and Mario saw that the purple rings of electricity had nearly hit him. He snapped back to his senses, and looked around for the Treasure. He saw it on the ground near the portal, and as he passed over it he leaned and picked it up with both hands.

Holding the glowing orb, he was carried into the shrinking portal by the glowing hand. After he and the treasure had passed through, the purple rings of lightning didn't even get a chance to strike the ground where he had knelt. The Spirit Realm crumbled and distorted so vigorously that it was quickly no longer even comprehensible. With a blinding white flash, the escape had been concluded.

Mario and his friends had successfully passed the trials, and destroyed the Spirit Realm. And what lay await for them beyond this portal, would change their lives forever.


	18. Final Chapter: The Thousand Year Door

**The Final Chapter:** The Thousand Year Door

Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toadsworth, and Lana T. were gathered in the main foyer of Peach Castle late this evening. Peach had a somber expression upon her soft face, and Daisy wasn't exactly looking overly optimistic, either. Toadsworth was not in a good mood either, and apparently he had been helping himself quite generously to some brandy this evening.

"So they still have not returned..." Peach sighed, looking downward with eyes of disappointment.

"That is correct, Princess." Toadsworth informed, a fist behind his back and the other clasping his cane. "In fact, you two are the first to return home! And, not to be a bug, but rather late I'd say! Yes, rather late indeed."

"Really? That's strange that Luigi isn't back yet." Daisy pondered, looking upward in thought with her hand supporting her chin. Her fingers were softly placed upon the cheek of her thoughtful expression. "I wonder what he's doing all by himself so late at night?"

Peach said nothing, remaining somber in the worried silence. She couldn't quite decide what to say.

"Don't worry, Princess." Lana T. assured, with a confident fist. "I'll be on the lookout for them all night! Why, I'll bet they'll be back before dawn!"

"Thank you, Lana." Peach thanked, with a nod. She appreciated the encouragement.

"Princess!" A small and feminine voice called.

A pink exclamation mark had formed above the head of Princess Peach. She turned towards the direction of the voice. Up above the red carpeted stairs, flying out through the crack of the slightly open brown double doors leading to the living quarters, was Navi the Fairy.

"Oh, Navi!" Peach softly smiled. "It is nice to see you again."

She flew over with a chime, hovering between everyone.

"Likewise, Princess. Has... Master Link and the others returned as well?" Navi questioned. Her phrase lacked the usual punch, as if she already knew she would receive a negative response.

"I am afraid not." Peach declined, shaking her head no.

"I see..." Navi frowned, looking downward and rather dismal. There was a short pause.

"Look, let's just head to bed for now and regroup in the morning." Daisy suggested with a hand, exchanging glances with the others. "There's not much point in just standing around, worrying this late."

"Capital idea, Daisy!" Toadsworth praised, with a cheery fist. "Perhaps we could send out a search party in the morning?"

"I do not think that will be necessary." Peach dismissed. She faced Toadsworth before continuing her speech. "Based on what we saw happen to them, I doubt a search party will be very effective."

"You mean those portals, right?" Navi inquired, fist on her chin in thought. "Yeah, I haven't ever seen anything quite like that."

"You guys should go and get some sleep." Lana T. advised. "I'll let you know straight away if I see anything, ok?"

"Well, alright." Peach submitted, with a soft nod. "Thank you, Lana."

"My pleasure." Lana T. replied, with a smile and a bow.

With that, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toadsworth, and Navi each made their way up to the second floor. They exchanged brief words, mostly about the cellphones they had purchased. Lana T. made her way outside, looking up at the starry night sky all by her lonesome.

"Another nightshift, huh." Lana T. sighed, exhausted already. " _*sigh*..._ I hate working."

She continued to examine the starry night sky, the vast expanse of heavenly bodies twinkling up above. Her lance rested against the stone bridge railing beside her as she rested her elbows on top of the railing while leaning forward. Despite being so close to Mushroom City, Peach Castle was far enough away that one could appreciate a fair amount of stars on a clear evening without being subject to too much light pollution.

"Did that blonde lady _really_ soar across the stars for all of that time?" Lana T. asked herself, bewildered by the mere thought. "Can that really be true?"

She continued to contemplate the phenomenon, eventually sighing once again as she remembered that she would be spending another evening alone on patrol.

 **/**

"Awawawa! Awawawawa!" Mario cried, kicking his feet while still holding onto the Treasure as he was dragged through a strange, colourful, and chaotic vortex by the large golden hand that had caught him earlier. "Whoooooooa-ho-ho-hoo!"

He was eventually dragged through a solid black focal point, and everything went black and silent for just a moment. He then had found himself being tossed onto the floor of a massive, dark chamber.

"Ow!" Mario cried, lifting his head and shaking it. "Hoo..."

Mario was so stunned by what he saw, that he didn't even get up just yet. The chamber itself was absolutely breathtaking in nature -it was truly awe-inspiring. The floors, the walls, and the ceiling appeared to be endless, featuring countless amounts of twinkling stars. It would have felt like you were floating in the middle of the night sky, if it weren't for a few other features of the room.

A very thin white line traced out the floor of the circular shaped room, and an absolutely massive red door of gold design with five-heart shaped hollow indents rested with the doors base right on that thin white line. Of the five hearts on the door, two sets of two hearts were on both the left and the right sides. The fifth heart shaped indent was located top and centre, and together the five of them formed a shape that was sort of like a negative parabola.

Directly in the centre of the circular room was a short and flat pedestal made of grey stone. There was nothing particularly interesting about it other than what its purpose may have been.

In the room stood Link and Rosalina. Link was hatless and was wearing the blue champions tunic he had on when he first encountered them. Much to his approval, he had all of his equipment back as well. Rosalina was once again wearing that lovely torqoise-blue dress she had been wearing before they entered the Spirit Realm. Much to her dismay, she no longer was wearing the star earrings or jewelled crown.

Also in the strange chamber was a glowing light, which was almost like a four pointed star. It glistened as it hovered up and down, twirling in place and extending and contracting its four points as it rotated. Tiny orbs of light rained from its presence as it hovered in place.

Apparently the golden hand had come from this glowing light form, and having already let go of Mario, it shrunk and retracted back into the strange light form before disappearing entirely.

Mario grunted as he pushed himself off of the starry ground, wiping the dirt off of his overalls and sighing in relief.

"Haha!" Mario laughed, running towards his friends as he realized they had passed the trials.

The light form rose and sank steadily as it spoke. It had that same, familiar, youthful voice that had been guiding them. "Mario! What were you thinking?"

"Huh? Hey, is that you?" Mario inquired, rubbing the back of his head in confusion as he peered at the light form ahead.

"What happened, Mario?" Link questioned, with a hand. "We were worried waiting for you in here."

"We noticed that you weren't coming through, and then we saw only your Spirit Vessel passing through..." Rosalina explained, her expression somber as she looked semi downward with folded arms. "We thought you were a goner for sure."

"Oh, sorry to worry you guys... But that guy we met, Canuck T... his pet deer, Dolly, saved me." Mario explained, shifting his attention between them. "She was really hurt, I couldn't just leave her."

"You almost failed the mission for us over a deer?" Rosalina attacked, while pointing a sharp finger at Mario, rather flippant. "That's pretty stupid, don't you think?"

"Luckily you were close enough to the portal, so that I was able to grab you. Otherwise you would have failed the trials, right at the very end!"

"Sorry..." Mario quietly apologized, not making eye contact.

"You wanted to bring her back to her owner before she died, didn't you?" Link inquired, showing some sympathy.

"Mm." Mario confirmed, still not making eye contact. "I promised him that I would bring her back, and she saved my life. I feel bad for not being able to return the favour in some way."

"But isn't the Spirit Realm destroyed now?" Rosalina questioned, her expression somewhat lazy as she contemplated. "So they're like, not around anymore anyway, right?"

"Maybe, maybe not..." Mario replied, somewhat somber. "But I wanted them to at least be together for the end."

"Mario..." Link softly spoke, a soft smile on his face. "You have a good heart, friend."

"Well, I suppose all is well that ends well... But still, you need to be more careful! That act of compassion had nearly cost us _*that*_!"

Mario, Rosalina, and Link directed their attention to the glowing golden orb resting on the floor a few feet away.

"Oh, right. The Treasure." Rosalina noted.

"We've succeeded in completing the trials, correct?" Link questioned, facing the light form a with a single hand on his hip. With a travellers sword and shield on his back, he was feeling like himself again. "I believe its time you start explaining all of this to us."

"I suppose it finally is that time, isn't it? Well then, where to begin..."

Rosalina, Link, and Mario listened very carefully to the mysterious light form.

"We are currently in what is known as "The Shrine of Good and Evil"."

"The Shrine of Good and Evil?" Link inquired, puzzled.

"Yes. This door that you see over here serves as a barrier to what can be considered the realm that is _"Beyond Good and Evil"_."

"What does that even mean?" Mario inquired, scratching his head in confusion.

"I don't know, exactly. But behind this door, is said to lie a powerful Demon that will one day thrust our world into chaos."

Rosalina gasped, her eyes widening as she had a total flashbulb memory.

 **{** "So many books..." Rosalina calmly gawked, her expression lazy. "Where does one begin?"

The focal point of the room was a round wooden table which just so happened to have a booked haphazardly sprawled on its surface. Curious, Rosalina approached it. She gasped as she noticed it was not written in English, but instead in strange characters and symbols. Her eyes widened as she discovered that she actually knew how to read this.

"I-I can read this?" Rosalina gawked, her mouth remaining open in surprise. It was such a peculiar feeling, realizing that you are able to read something that at first sight appeared to be gibberish. Her heart was racing. She hesitated, but eventually proceeded to read the book:

 _Regarding the Legend:_

 _"One thousand years after she is born, the Princess of the Galaxies will crash into their world, releasing the energy of the Goddess upon impact._ _This energy will awaken the demon that sleeps below. Their world will soon after be thrust into chaos._

 _It is then only a matter of time before their world is annihilated by shadow, destroyed in a great cataclysm. The day the cosmic Princess awakens, marks the beginning of a swift and cruel end for their world."_

"H-Huh?" Rosalina gasped, her expression full of fear and worry. A chill ran down her spine. "A swift and cruel end? Annihilated by shadow?" **}**

"Powerful... Demon? Chaos?" Rosalina inquired with a feeble tone, practically trembling with fear.

"That's right. After the Cosmic Princess arrives in our world, the seal on this door containing the Demon will start to weaken. And if the seal on this door is broken, that-"

"-Marks the beginning of a swift and cruel end for our world." Rosalina concluded with conviction, completing the sentence unwarranted.

"Oh? So you did read that text, after all? Perhaps that is why you had decided to trust me earlier."

Memories rushed back to the three of them:

 **{** **"Never mind what I am! I brought you three here so that you could prove to me that you've got what it takes!"**

"Got what it takes? To do what?" Mario questioned, his teeth clenched as he surveyed pointlessly in the darkness. Link and Rosalina were more relaxed, having accepted that they could not find the source of the voice.

 **"What it takes to help me save the world! A terrible, malevolent force is rising from the depths... If something isn't done, your world will be destroyed in a great cataclysm!"**

"What? Seriously?" Mario gawked in horror, believing it immediately.

"Don't be so quick to believe them..." Link calmly warned, his back facing Mario as he stared into nothing. "Unless of course, you speak of Ganon."

"No." Rosalina declined. Her tone was much more serious than usual. She had captivated Link and Mario. She was thinking about what she had read earlier, what she had meant to tell everyone before they had been transported here. "We should believe them... just... trust me for now." **}**

"Wait, what? Slow down." Mario interfered, unable to follow. "I'm so lost."

"I read some strange book back at Peach Castle the other night." Rosalina recalled, her expression pensive. "It was written in some... strange language that I could somehow understand, and it was left open as if someone had recently been reading it."

"Oh yeah, that was me. I was trying to get you to find it, actually. Turned out to be easier than I had thought!"

"What do you mean by "strange language"?" Link inquired, curious.

"I don't know..." Rosalina started, frowning. "I couldn't understand it, but I could read it. It was very strange."

"It was written in the language of the Lumas, as a matter of fact. They are sentient cosmic beings, like me!"

"Lumas..." Rosalina muttered to herself, the word somehow oddly familiar to her.

"Anyway, lets get you all on the same page here. The text Rosalina had stumbled across had said, _*ahem*_ :

 _Regarding the Legend:_

 _"One thousand years after she is born, the Princess of the Galaxies will crash into their world, releasing the energy of the Goddess upon impact."_

 _"This energy will awaken the demon that sleeps below. Their world will soon after be thrust into chaos."_

 _"It is then only a matter of time before their world is annihilated by Shadow, destroyed in a great cataclysm. The day the cosmic Princess arrives at their world, marks the beginning of a swift and cruel end for their world."."_

"What the hell?" Mario barked, flinching back with an expression of horror. "That sounds really bad! What's all this about?"

"Releasing the energy of the Goddess upon impact..." Link repeated, in deep thought with his fist clenched at his chin. "Is this referring to the Goddess Stars?"

"Very good, Link! That's exactly what that means. But it's not _just_ that."

"What do you mean?" Rosalina challenged, suddenly confused. "The energy that was around me is what all of the Goddess Stars are made out of, right?"

The light figure then proceeded to carefully explain to them something very important.

"Yes, but that same energy is also what has caused the seal on this door to begin weakening. The seal on this door has been strong and active since you were born, and has successfully constrained the Demon, who has been dormant within the _realm of what's Beyond Good and Evil_ for the last one thousand years. Again, that realm is what is sealed beyond this door, and it has been sealed for the last one thousand years. For this reason, this door is called _"The Thousand Year Door"_."

"The Thousand Year Door..." Mario repeated, the phrase awe-inspiring to him.

"Mm. But now, thanks to the released Goddess Energy which previously had surrounded Princess Rosalina as she travelled through space for the last one thousand years, the seal on the Thousand Year Door has begun to weaken."

"This doesn't just mean that this Demon will eventually break free. The seal was also preventing the Demon from getting stronger. The seal was keeping it dormant. But with the seal now weakening, it not only means that the Demon will soon become free from that realm. It also means that it is now _awakened,_ and now has a chance to become even more powerful in the meantime!"

"Wait, so there's a big demon shadow thing behind this sealed Thousand Year Door, and it's gonna get stronger and stronger until the seal breaks completely? And then its gonna bust out and wreck havoc?" Mario summarized, trying to understand.

"That's right, but it's actually even worse than that. If we just sit around and wait, the Demon will become so strong that once its finally free, it will be completely unstoppable. As the text suggests, it will truly be a swift and cruel end for our world..."

There was a short silence. Despair clung to the air of the chamber for a moment.

"So what are we to do?" Link inquired, his expression determined. "This is a most pressing matter."

"It's simple, really. We open the door ourselves, by breaking the seal. We get in there, and vanquish the Demon before it gets too powerful for us to handle."

"So we're gonna break the seal early ourselves and beat the crap out of that Demon, huh?" Mario summarized, pounding his fists together. "Alright! I like the sound of that!"

"Beats waiting around and having it destroy us, I guess." Rosalina admitted. "But what a pain."

"For someone who is technically the catalyst for this whole catastrophe, you're awfully calm about this." Link sniped, scratching his head with the other hand on his hip.

"Well it's not like I had any idea..." Rosalina pouted, her cheeks slightly pink and puffed up in cute anger.

"No matter." Link dismissed, returning his attention to the light form. "Now I suppose that begs the question: how do we go about opening this door?"

" _*snicker*"_

"Is... something funny?" Link inquired, his head tilted.

"No, sorry, I've just been waiting so long to tell you guys this... _*Ahem*_. We gather the _"Crystal Hearts"_."

"The Crystal Hearts?" Rosalina repeated, looking semi skyward in thought.

"They're a sort of... magical item, I suppose. We need five of them in order to break the seal on the Thousand Year Door."

"Five, huh?" Mario contemplated the proposition, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, okay... So where are they and how do we get them?"

"Before I explain that, let me back up just a bit. You guys already know that you were just in a Spirit Realm, right? Well actually, _everyone_ has a Spirit Realm."

"Wait, what?" Rosalina barked, already confused. "We all have Spirit Realms?"

"That's right! Everyone does. You all have a Spirit, but that's not exactly easy to explain... I guess the best way to describe the Spirit Realms, is that they are _physical manifestations and interpretations of how a given individual views the world._"

"What on earth does that mean?" Mario cried, tossing his hands in incomprehension.

"It means that depending on how a person views the world, their Spirit Realm will be changed to best reflect that viewpoint." Link described, capturing everyones attention. "Since we all view the world in a unique way, we all should have different Spirit Realms. For example, if I perceived the world as nothing but a war zone between groups of power, I bet my Spirit Realm might look like a battlefield of some sort."

 **"** Nice going, Link! That's a spot on analogy!"

"Really? That's so neat!" Mario smiled, amazed by the idea. He proceeded to drool in fantasy, imagining himself diving into a lake of pasta. "I bet my Spirit Realm is a land of food..."

"Hehe..." Rosalina giggled, blushing shyly. "Mine would be one big, fluffy bed..."

"Hahaha! Moving on, how might these Spirit Realms be connected to the Crystal Hearts?" Link questioned, with a hand.

"Well, as I've said, everyone has a Spirit Realm. But some people hold such a _twisted and distorted viewpoint_ , that their Spirit Realm becomes a _Shadow Realm_."

"A Shadow Realm?" Rosalina inquired.

"That's right. People of considerable evil possess Shadow Realms, not Spirit Realms."

"I'm gonna venture a guess and say that we're going to need to do something about these Shadow Realms if we want to get our hands on a Crystal Heart." Link ventured, folding his arms and stepping back a single step.

"That's exactly right! We need to destroy the Shadow Realms of evil people by stealing the Treasure located within their Shadow Realm. It's just like what you guys just did, but for real!"

"Okay, I get the whole destroying the Shadow Realms or whatever by stealing the Treasure bit, but how does that give us a Crystal Heart?" Mario asked, rubbing his head in perplexity.

"That's the best part! You see, real Treasures aren't just some random, glowing thingie. A real treasure is a _physical representation of what caused the person who owns the Shadow Realm to become evil_ in the first place! It's the very source and cause of their twisted and distorted desires, serving as the heart of their Shadow Realm! That, is what it means to be a Treasure."

"So by stealing it, we basically eliminate the source and cause of their evil, and then their Shadow Realm starts to collapse?" Rosalina attempted to explain, speaking very slowly.

"Something like that. And through the destruction of an evildoers Shadow Realm, _they become a better person_. They have a change of heart. _And from that change of heart, a Crystal Heart is born_."

"That's... unbelievable." Mario awed, amazed by the idea. "Can we really turn bad guys into good guys?"

"Maybe... but truthfully, I've never done it."

"You've never done this before?" Rosalina exclaimed, almost spitting in disbelief. "But you sounded so confident about everything."

"That's because I have been taught all of this by the Goddess! And now I am teaching it to her chosen Three, who I am destined to assist as they gather the five Crystal Hearts and save the world from the great Demon that is sealed beyond the Thousand Year Door!"

"So you mean to say, that the three of us have been picked by the Goddess herself, to find evildoers, destroy their Shadow Realms, gather the Crystal Hearts, open the Thousand Year Door, and vanquish this "Demon" before it's too late?" Link summarized, pulling on his fingers with each point.

"In a nutshell, yes. That is your destiny. To rid the world of evil and save it from great destruction. What you described is just how you'll go about doing that."

"This is... a lot to take in." Rosalina frowned, her downcast expression somber, arms folded.

"Look, it's fine by me." Mario agreed, pounding his fists together. "There's no doubt Grodus has a Shadow Realm. I'm gonna destroy it no matter what!"

"Ganon as well, no doubt." Link added, hand on chin in thought.

"I wonder who else has Shadow Realms..." Rosalina pondered.

"Let's not worry about that just yet. There's one more thing we need to do before we leave."

"And what might that be?" Link inquired.

"Princess Rosalina, grab that Treasure right there Mario was so nice to steal for us."

"Me? But why do I have to do it?" Rosalina complained, almost defeated already.

"Grr -because you're the Princess of the Galaxies! Quit being so lazy and grab it already!"

"What a pain..." Rosalina complained, walking all the way over to the Treasure.

She lifted the golden, glowing orb off of the starry ground, apparently not very impressed by it. "Now what?"

"Take it over to that grey pedestal right there. Stand atop the Pedestal, and hoist it in the air!"

"Well, okay..." Rosalina calmly surrendered, doing just that. She stood atop the pedestal, preparing to lift it. "This feels silly."

There was no comment. After a brief period of silence, she hoisted the Treasure into the air.

With an oddly sacred hum, the grey pedestal lit up with a circle of what appeared to be an ancient language. The figures rotated, with Rosalina standing in the centre.

"What's happening?" Rosalina questioned, admittedly growing a bit nervous.

"Shh. You'll see."

The golden, glowing orb proceeded to pulsate. The Thousand Year Door reacted to the pulsing orb, all of the intricate designs upon it lighting up in much the same way the pedestal beneath Rosalina had. All of them watched in awe as the orb levitated above Rosalina's hoisted hands, bobbing up and down and pulsating. Eventually, it shattered into a billion fragments, and a sharp ring of light raced outward from the point of its destruction.

What remained, was an old and tattered piece of paper. It was torn at the edges, divided into quadrants, and rather large. It looked like a blank map.

"That's the _Magical Map_."

"The Magical Map?" Rosalina inquired, puzzled.

"That's right. With this, we will be able to track down and navigate through the Shadow Realms. It's our ticket to getting the Crystal Hearts!"

"This is..." Link started, unable to find the right words.

"This is the start of one crazy journey!" Mario grinned, clenching his fists in excitement. He stuck his hand out in the middle of their gathering, palm down. "Join me!"

"We... we can do this!" Rosalina cheered, rather excited as she placed her hand on his.

"I am with you all one hundred percent." Link consented, placing his hand on theirs.

The glowing light form hovered above their joined hands.

"I hope you guys are ready. Because with this, we are officially a team! This is going to be one hell of an adventure! We'll rid the world of its evil, and save it from destruction! Now let's go and gather the Crystal Hearts!"

In unison, they raised their hands with a loud cheer: _ **"Lets do this!"**_

 **~ SUPER MARIO - Book I - The Princess of the Galaxies ~**

 ** _END_**


End file.
